A cataract is any light scattering opacity of the lens. It is estimated that congenital cataracts are responsible for 5% to 20% of blindness in children worldwide. While the presence of lens opacities at birth indicates a congenital onset, the diagnosis and recognition of a lens opacity at a later age does not exclude a congenital onset. Juvenile cataracts are by definition those with an onset in childhood, after infancy, irrespective of underlying etiology.
Cataracts may be unilateral or bilateral and can vary widely in size, morphology and degree of opacification from a small white dot on the anterior capsule to total opacification of the lens. Trauma is a known cause of pediatric cataracts. If there is no known history of trauma to explain an acquired cataract in this age group, investigation must be considered in children who present with other signs suggestive of child abuse. Not…
