In the management of a unilateral congenital dense cataract detected at 4 weeks of age, surgery should ideally be performed by what age to achieve the best visual outcome?

• A By 6 weeks of age ✓
• B By 4 weeks of age
• C By 12 weeks of age
• D By 6 months of age

Explanation

For unilateral congenital cataract, surgery must be performed within the first 6 weeks of life, ideally by 6 weeks, to prevent irreversible deprivation amblyopia. Bilateral cases can be addressed within the first 10-12 weeks. Delay beyond 6 weeks in unilateral cases results in dense, often untreatable amblyopia due to the critical period of visual development. This is a well-established timeline in pediatric ophthalmology.

Reference: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 21st ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.