Medical and social aspects of pediatric lens pathology

AIM: To examine the medical and social aspects of pediatric lens pathology based on clinical data from the Tashkent Pediatric Medical Institute (TashPMI). Objectives: To analyze the disease distribution and regional profile as well as the social aspects of pediatric lens pathology; determine the timing of cataract diagnosis and treatment, including healthcare professionals and facilities involved in the diagnosis; identify the factors contributing to delayed treatment of pediatric lens pathology, and propose strategies for improvement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records was performed for 165 patients (249 eyes) with lens pathology. RESULTS: According to clinical data from TashPMI, lens pathology in children was predominantly represented by congenital cataracts (81.2%), post-contusion traumatic cataracts (15.2%), and post-uveitis complicated cataracts (3.6%). The majority of cases were observed in boys (62.4%) aged 6 months to 15 years. The highest frequency of cases was observed among children residing in Tashkent, rural areas near the capital, and the southern regions of Uzbekistan. Among patients with lens pathology, 90.2% of fathers and 94.6% of mothers had secondary or vocational education. Some parents (17.6%) were diagnosed with visual disability, and all of them were parents of children with congenital cataracts. Every fifth child with lens pathology was born to consanguineous parents. Cataracts were most often first diagnosed in primary healthcare settings (61.8%), typically at rural health posts in the patients’ communities. The primary reason for delayed surgical treatment of cataracts was contraindications to intubation anesthesia due to comorbidities (43%). CONCLUSION: Monitoring of the medical and social aspects of pediatric lens pathology not only facilitates the identification of factors that hinder timely diagnosis and treatment but also shapes patient management strategies based on these factors.