Observational Study on Corneal Opacities in Children

A prospective observational study on corneal opacities in infants and children (1 month to 18 years old) will be conducted at CHLA. Most of these cases will be due to congenital corneal opacity (e.g. Peter's anomaly, mucopolysacharidoses) or scarring due to infectious keratitis. Sixty (60) subjects will be recruited. The children will be examined under anesthesia with a portable slit-lamp and OCT. An iVue OCT system (Optovue) attached to an operating microscope-style mount at CHLA will be used for the intraoperative scans. Both cross-sectional and 3-D OCT scans will be performed to assess opacity depth, pachymetry map, endothelial defects, and any abnormal adhesion between the cornea, iris and lens. The anterior chamber angle will also be imaged with cross-sectional OCT to assess angle depth, trabecular meshwork, Schwalbe's line, and possible peripheral iridocorneal adhesion or posterior embryotoxon. OCT of the crystalline lens will be obtained to assess the presence of cataract. Slit-lamp photography will be obtained, and gonioscopy will be performed if indicated. Corneal diameter will be measured with a caliper, and intraocular pressure will be measured with a tonopen (Reichert).