WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

*Angam Tarek Hussein, Baidaa Abdul Hussein Jasim, Doaa Oday Hatem, Taghreed Fadhil Mohammed and Ameer A. Bananzada

ABSTRACT

Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a heterogeneous glomerular disorder commonly affecting children, characterized by proteinuria due to glomerular damage. Long-term corticosteroid therapy, a cornerstone of idiopathic NS treatment, is associated with ocular complications, including posterior subcapsular cataract, glaucoma, increased intraocular pressure (IOP), ptosis, mydriasis, eyelid atrophy, keratitis, corneal and scleral thinning, and recurrent hordeolum. Aim: To determine ocular complications in children with NS and their association with steroid dosing and duration. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 60 children with NS at the Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Central Child Teaching Hospital, from October 2019 to July 2020. Data on age, gender, disease duration, steroid treatment duration, type of NS, and prior ophthalmologic evaluations were collected. Comprehensive ophthalmic assessments were performed at a tertiary center. Histological diagnosis and treatment regimens were reviewed from patient records and caregiver interviews. Results: The study included 60 children aged 1–15 years (mean: 8.8 ± 3.5 years), with males comprising 58%. Most cases occurred before age five (mean: 5.23 ± 3.16 years). Half the patients had one or more ocular complications. Abnormal visual acuity was significantly associated with longer disease duration and treatment (p = 0.024, 0.004, 0.043). Cataract risk increased with prolonged steroid use and disease duration (p = 0.036, 0.021). Elevated IOP was linked to systemic hypertension (p = 0.021). Conclusions: Ocular involvement is common in children with NS. Longer steroid therapy increases cataract risk and decreases visual acuity, warranting regular ophthalmologic evaluation. Systemic hypertension elevates IOP risk, emphasizing blood pressure monitoring.