AIM: To assess corneal endothelial cells and corneal thickness in congenital cataract patients, which contributes to studying the characteristics and mechanism of the disease.

METHODS: From August 2014 to December 2018, 141 patients diagnosed with congenital cataract before surgery in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Their endothelial cell density(ECD), average size(AVE), standard deviation of size(SD), coefficient of variation(CV), Hexagonality(Hex)and central corneal thickness(CCT)were measured with non-contact specular microscope. The data were statistically analyzed using partial correlation analysis to detect the correlation among patients' ECD, AVE, SD, CV, Hex, CCT and age, and we conducted curve fitting with multiple stepwise regression. We compared male and female patients', bilateral and unilateral cataract's parameters above by covariance analysis.

RESULTS: The correlation between patients' ECD, AVE, SD and age was significant, and the fitting curve was obtained with equation ECD=3957.33-306.62×ln(age)、AVE=178.77+27.39×ln(age)and SD=77.13×e^0.013×age respectively. CV was significantly greater in female patients than that in male patients(P=0.044). SD and CV was significantly greater in right eyes of bilateral cataract than that in affected eyes(P=0.037, P=0.028 respectively)and healthy eyes(P=0.007, P=0.003 respectively)from unilateral cataract, Hex was significantly less in right eyes of bilateral cataract than that in affected eyes(P=0.006)and healthy eyes(P=0.009)from unilateral cataract, CCT was significantly greater in right eyes of bilateral cataract than that in healthy eyes(P=0.041)from unilateral cataract.

CONCLUSION: Congenital cataract may affect corneal endothelial cells and corneal thickness, especially SD, CV, Hex and CCT. Patients' ECD, AVE and SD changes with age. Female patients may have greater CV than male patients.