Background: Pediatric cataract is one of the most common preventable cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Early and timely intervention of pediatric cataract is important to maximize the visual outcomes and start prompt visual rehabilitation. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the average time from the day of initial consult at the outpatient clinic to the day of the cataract surgery and compare the effects of delayed surgery on visual outcomes of patients. Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of medical records from January 2015 to June 2022. The dates of the different steps in the process up to the day of intervention were noted and the average interval duration and the total waiting time were determined. Patients operated on within 2 weeks from initial consult was defined as no delay while those operated >2 weeks had delayed surgery. Pre-operative and post-operative best corrected log MAR visual acuity were compared within each group to determine if delay in surgical intervention has a significant effect on the visual outcomes of patients. Results: Median age at initial consult was 4.9 years while median age at surgery was 5.2 years. Ninety-nine (99) patients had developmental cataract and 123 patients had bilateral cataract. Leukocoria was the most common chief complaint (63.45%). Pre-operatively, 94 patients had strabismus, 49 had eye preference, 48 had nystagmus, and 43 had amblyopia in the diagnosis. There was significantly faster admission to cataract surgery during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic period but there was no difference in the total waiting time. Patients with congenital cataract had the least total waiting time followed by developmental, and rubella cataract. There is no significant difference in visual outcomes between patients operated without delay and with delay. Conclusion There is delayed age at diagnosis and surgery of pediatric cataract patients in the Philippine General Hospital. Early surgery did not reflect better visual outcomes compared to delayed surgery probably due to delay in consultation of patients.
Cataract

Background and Objective: The Philippines does not have a national congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) surveillance or registry. Regular monitoring of CRS cases in hospitals, including in a Philippine tertiary hospital, helped in the past to provide clinico-epidemiologic data on CRS. This study aimed to continue providing clinico-epidemiologic data on CRS cases seen in the Philippine tertiary hospital from 2009-2012 and 2019-2022 and compare the cases seen from said timelines. Methods: A cross-sectional study was used, employing chart review of patients newly diagnosed with CRS from 2009-2012 and 2019-2022 in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Philippine tertiary hospital. Results: Forty-two patients newly diagnosed with CRS from 2009-2012 and 2019-2022 were included. Only 14 (33%) were serologically-confirmed cases (albeit qualitatively). Median age (first and third interquartile ranges) at consult was 1 year (0.4, 2.5). Twenty-four (57%) patients had maternal history of rashes and/or fever. Trimester of pregnancy when mother became symptomatic was not significantly correlated with chief complaint (p=0.20) and numbers of ophthalmic (p=0.68) and systemic manifestations (p=0.32). Cataract was the most common ophthalmic manifestation present in 40 (95%) patients. Twenty-six (62%) patients had other associated systemic findings of which hearing loss was the most common. Only 29 of 40 patients with cataract underwent lensectomy, with 23 patients having poor visual prognosis prior to surgery (5 with nystagmus alone, 10 with nystagmus and strabismus, and 8 with strabismus alone). Discussion: Using ophthalmic manifestations as primary indicator, this study provided an update on the CRS cases in the country. Laboratory confirmation remains a challenge in diagnosing CRS as the tests are costly and not widely available. There was increase from 2009-2012 compared to 2019-2022 in number of patients who underwent surgical treatment for cataract but visual outcomes were suboptimal due to delay in consultation. Although there was a decrease in number of CRS cases seen in the Philippine tertiary hospital, this cannot be attributed to increased rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) coverage alone. Conclusion Provision of data from individual hospital-based studies similar to this highlights the need for a national CRS surveillance system or registry. This can better gauge the burden of CRS and identify the gap in RCV coverage.
Rubella Syndrome, Congenital ; Retinitis Pigmentosa

BACKGROUND

Pediatric cataract is one of the most common preventable cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Early and timely intervention of pediatric cataract is important to maximize the visual outcomes and start prompt visual rehabilitation.

This study aimed to determine the average time from the day of initial consult at the outpatient clinic to the day of the cataract surgery and compare the effects of delayed surgery on visual outcomes of patients.

This is a retrospective chart review of medical records from January 2015 to June 2022. The dates of the different steps in the process up to the day of intervention were noted and the average interval duration and the total waiting time were determined. Patients operated on within 2 weeks from initial consult was defined as no delay while those operated >2 weeks had delayed surgery. Pre-operative and post-operative best corrected log MAR visual acuity were compared within each group to determine if delay in surgical intervention has a significant effect on the visual outcomes of patients.

Median age at initial consult was 4.9 years while median age at surgery was 5.2 years. Ninety-nine (99) patients had developmental cataract and 123 patients had bilateral cataract. Leukocoria was the most common chief complaint (63.45%). Pre-operatively, 94 patients had strabismus, 49 had eye preference, 48 had nystagmus, and 43 had amblyopia in the diagnosis. There was significantly faster admission to cataract surgery during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic period but there was no difference in the total waiting time. Patients with congenital cataract had the least total waiting time followed by developmental, and rubella cataract. There is no significant difference in visual outcomes between patients operated without delay and with delay.

There is delayed age at diagnosis and surgery of pediatric cataract patients in the Philippine General Hospital. Early surgery did not reflect better visual outcomes compared to delayed surgery probably due to delay in consultation of patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

There is no strict by-the-book rule as to which approach is the best strabismus surgery for patients with sensory exotropia. More commonly, a monocular lateral rectus recession and a medial rectus resection (monocular R & R; MRR) is performed in the eye with a poorer prognosis. Rarely, for larger deviations, a third or fourth horizontal muscle in the better eye is added. This study aimed to determine the outcomes of strabismus surgery performed for sensory exotropia in a tertiary hospital in the Philippines.

The medical records of all patients with sensory exotropia who underwent strabismus surgical correction from January 2015 to December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed.

A total of 29 medical records satisfied the inclusion criteria. Mean age at diagnosis and at the time of surgery were 7.5 ± 11.6 (range: 1 to 68 years) and 12.4 ± 16.2 years (range: 1 to 68 years) years old, respectively, with a mean follow-up of 6.2 months (range: 3 to 24 months). After a mean follow-up of 6.2 months, the overall success (alignment in primary position is within 10 prism diopters of orthotropia) was relatively low, where 34% were successful, 65.5% developed recurrence, and none had overcorrections. Survival plots of both surgeries revealed a decline in success probability in achieving desired alignment six months after surgery.

We reported the surgical outcomes of 29 patients with sensory exotropia. The general trend realized was that the decline in success rates of good alignment was evident beginning six months post-operatively. The retrospective design serves as a limitation and hence, readers should treat results with caution.

The ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic triggered a series of events that resulted in the disruption of the delivery of various certifying examinations including that which was given by the Philippine Board of Ophthalmology (PBO). This paper shares the experience of the PBO using digital technology in administering its first ever online delivery of its certifying examinations. Online platform requirements used for delivering the examination are enumerated, online proctoring described, as well as the conduct of oral panel examinations and skills evaluation via video submission. Challenges encountered, feedback reported by both examinee and examiner, lessons learned from this endeavor, and future directions are discussed.

Children with weak or absent capsular support requiring lens removal and intraocular lens implantation present as one of the more challenging cases in pediatric ophthalmology practice. The authors present a case series with postoperative follow-up of at least five years after retropupillary fixation of iris-clipped lenses. All cases had improved visual acuity with only minor focal iris atrophy as complication in one case. Retropupillary fixation of iris-clipped IOL should be included in an ophthalmologist's armamentarium when operating on cases with weak or absent capsular support.
lens subluxation

Spontaneous consecutive exotropia (SCXT) in conservatively managed accommodative esotropia is not widely discussed. The author presents a case series of 4 patients with SCXT describing patient characteristics and possible risk factors. Management modifications based on this series are proposed. Four cases of patients who initially presented with accommodative esotropia and later developed SCXT are presented. The age range at presentation was between 4 months to 3 years, with total follow-up ranging between 8–15 years. All four cases presented with esotropia on or before the age of 3 years, with initial hyperopia ranging between +1.50 to +4.25. The SCXT occurred between ages 2–7 years. Possible risk factors identified include amblyopia, dissociated vertical deviation, rapid control of esodeviation, inferior oblique overaction, and poor follow-up during the course of their strabismus. The author recommends earlier tapering of hyperopia correction following initial control with full cycloplegic refraction. Identified risk factors should alert the specialists to be wary of SCXT.

Congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles (CFEOM) is a rare, congenital, non-progressive disorder presenting with partial or total ophthalmoplegia, with variable degrees of ptosis in both eyes. We present the clinical manifestations of congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles in two patients. Both patients presented with bilateral ptosis and variable ophthalmoplegia with a chin-up posture. The ocular deviations have been noted since birth. No patient demonstrated a Marcus-Gunn jaw-winking phenomenon. Both patients had a mild refractive error with with-the-rule astigmatism. Deviation for both patients revealed exotropia with varying amounts of hypotropia and limitations in the movement of extraocular muscles. Both patients presented no abnormalities in the pupils. Neuroimaging revealed atrophy of the extraocular muscles. Diagnosis of CFEOM in a resource-poor setting is also challenging due to inaccessible gene testing. Manifestations of CFEOM vary across affected patients. CFEOM proposes challenges to the ophthalmologist with regards to management.
congenital fibrosis ; extraocular muscles ; congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders

Silver-Russell Syndrome (SRS) is a rare disorder associated with prenatal and postnatal growth retardation with associated characteristic facial and ocular features including strabismus. We report the outcome of strabismus surgery performed for exotropia in a 4-year-old patient with SRS. The patient presented with decreased visual acuity and constant exotropia of the right eye noted since 3 months of age. Systemic SRS characteristics consisted of relative macrocephaly, short stature, forehead prominence and stunted growth pattern. An X-pattern exotropia is consistent with bilateral tight lateral recti muscles with overelevation in adduction of the left eye was present. Patient underwent unilateral right lateral rectus recession and right medial rectus resection for a 50-prism diopter constant exotropia. Patient had a favorable outcome of within 8 prism diopters from orthotropia at 1st, 3rd-, 6th- and 12th-month post-operatively.
Russell Syndrome ; exotropia ; macrocephaly

Background: Quality of life questionnaires provide valuable information in assessing the effects of health interventions and public health campaigns. In the Philippines, we only have a few validated questionnaires targeted specifically for children. Objective: To translate to Filipino and validate the translated Impact of Vision Impairment for Children Questionnaire (IVI_C). Methods: This is a translation and validation study of the IVI_C. The IVI_C was translated following international guidelines of forward–translation and back-translation methods. After completion of the Filipino IVI_C version, pretesting was performed on school-aged children 8 to 18 years old through convenience sampling in the outpatient department and Pediatric Ophthalmology and Motility Clinic at Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal, Philippine General Hospital from January 1 to August 31, 2018. Results: We included 130 participants in the study. The calculated Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.88 for the translated Filipino version of the IVI_C suggested high reliability and internal consistency. Rasch analysis showed comparability of the Filipino translation to the original English version of the questionnaire. Conclusion Our study showed that the Filipino version of IVI_C questionnaire was of high reliability and validity.