Transitory Cataracts in Children With Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

One of the most common visual complaints seen ill diabetes is transitory refractive changes. This abnormality affects all age groups equally1 and has been reported in 6% to 34% of patients.2,3 Diabetic myopia is associated with marked hyperglycemia, whereas hyperopia usually develops as the blood sugar level returns to normal in response to therapy.4 The "true" diabetic cataract is now a rare cause of blurred vision in children and young adults with diabetes.5 Very few instances of transitory cataracts, however, have been documented, and those observed are found primarily in the ophthalmological literature. For these reasons, we are reporting in the pediatric literature two new cases of transitory cataracts.