Axial length and posterior staphyloma in Saudi Arabian cataract patients.

Purpose: To determine the axial length distribution and prevalence of posterior staphyloma in a group of Saudi Arabian patients having cataract extraction.

Setting: Tertiary care referral center.

Methods: Approximately 75% of all cataract patients at the eye hospital have preoperative B-scan ultrasonography. The last 1000 B-scans performed for any reason were screened for patients having uncomplicated cataract surgery; 629 cases were included. The relationship between the presence of posterior staphyloma and patient age, sex, and axial length was studied.

Results: There were 371 (59.0%) men and 258 (41.0%) women with a mean age of 62.4 years +/- 15.7 (SD). Posterior staphyloma was identified in 67 patients (10.7%). The presence of staphyloma was not significantly related to patient sex or age. Although the mean axial length was significantly longer in eyes with staphyloma (27.43 +/- 2.36 mm) than in those without (23.18 +/- 1.64 mm), 9.3% of eyes without staphyloma had an axial length longer than 25.0 mm. No staphylomas were present in eyes with an axial length shorter than 23.3 mm. The longest axial length in an eye without a staphyloma was 32.5 mm.

Conclusions: Posterior staphyloma was present in a high percentage of Saudi Arabian patients having cataract extraction.