A study of the spectrum of ocular manifestations in patients with thalassemia

Abstract

Background: Thalassemia is a globally prevalent genetic disorder. Patients with thalassemia are prone to develop systemic and ocular adverse effects such as myocardial iron loading, heart failure, decreased visual acuity, color vision abnormalities, contrast sensitivity changes, ocular surface disease, lens opacities, etc. Fundus abnormalities such as retinal pigment epithelium degeneration, arteriovenous (AV) tortuosity, etc. may be seen. Patients with the long-standing disease are at risk of developing ocular adverse effects that demand baseline ophthalmic evaluation and regular monitoring. Context: Need for a regular ophthalmic checkup in patients with thalassemia. Aim: To determine the prevalence of ocular manifestations in patients with thalassemia. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted by recruiting patients with thalassemia after obtaining ethical approval from the institute and informed consent from the parents. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with thalassemia underwent a detailed ophthalmic evaluation, and the findings were recorded. The Statistical Package AQ6 for the Social Sciences software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Ocular involvement was seen in 37 patients (74%). We observed that 20% of the patients had decreased visual acuity, 38% of the patients had mild dry eye disease, and 14% of the patients had AV tortuosity. Conclusion: Ocular changes in patients with thalassemia occur over a long period. Adverse effects such as ocular surface diseases, lens opacities, increased cup disc ratio, retinal pigment epithelium degeneration, etc. may progress and cause visual impairment at a later stage. It is important to create awareness in these patients to prevent long-term side effects and maintain optimum visual health.