Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of β-thalassemia minor on choroidal, macular, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness.
Methods
To form the sample, we recruited 40 patients with β-thalassemia minor and 44 healthy participants. We used spectral-domain optical coherence tomography to take all measurements of ocular thickness, as well as measured intraocular pressure, axial length, and central corneal thickness. We later analyzed correlations of hemoglobin levels with ocular parameters.
Results
A statistically significant difference emerged between patients with β-thalassemia minor and the healthy controls in terms of mean values of subfoveal, nasal, and temporal choroidal thickness (p = 0.001, p = 0.016, and p = 0.010, respectively). Except for central macular thickness, differences in paracentral macular thicknesses between the groups were also significant (superior: p < 0.001, inferior: p = 0.007, temporal: p = 0.001, and nasal: p = 0.005). Also, no statistically significant differences were noted for retinal nerve fiber layer thickness between two groups.
Conclusion
Mean values of subfoveal, nasal, temporal choroidal, and macular thickness for the four quadrants were significantly lower in patients with β-thalassemia minor than in healthy controls.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rathod DA, Kaur A, Patel V et al (2007) Usefulness of cell counter-based parameters and formulas in detection of β-thalassemia trait in areas of high prevalence. Am J Clin Pathol 128:585–589
Urrechaga E, Borque L, Escanero JF (2011) The role of automated measurement of RBC subpopulations in differential diagnosis of microcytic anemia and β-thalassemia screening. Am J Clin Pathol 135:374–379
Bhoiwala DL, Dunaief JL (2016) Retinal abnormalities in β-thalassemia major. Surv Ophthalmol 61(1):33–50
Kinsella FP, Mooney DJ (1988) Angioid streaks in beta thalassaemia minor. Br J Ophthalmol 72:303–304
Ryan SJ (2006) Retina, 4th edn. Elsevier Mosby, Philadelphia, pp 33–34
Spaide RF, Koizumi H, Pozzoni MC (2008) Enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Am J Ophthalmol 146:496–500
Mathew R, Bafiq R, Ramu J et al (2015) Spectral domain optical coherence tomography in patients with sickle cell disease. Br J Ophthalmol 99:967–972
El-Shazly AA, Elkitkat RS, Ebeid WM, Deghedy MR (2016) Correlation between subfoveal choroidal thickness and foveal thickness in thalassemic patients. Retina 36(9):1767–1772
Pekel G, Doğu MH, Keskin A et al (2015) Subfoveal choroidal thickness is associated with blood hematocrit level. Ophthalmologica 234(1):55–59
Yumusak E, Ciftci A, Yalcin S, Sayan CD, Dikel NH, Ornek K (2015) Changes in the choroidal thickness in reproductive-aged women with iron-deficiency anemia. BMC Ophthalmol 29(15):186
Taher A, Vichinsky E, Musallam K et al (2013) Guidelines for the management of non transfusion dependent thalassaemia (NTDT). Thalassaemia International Federation, Nicosia
Read SA, Collins MJ, Vincent SJ, Alonso-Caneiro D (2013) Choroidal thickness in myopic and nonmyopic children assessed with enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 54:7578–7586
Regatieri CV, Branchini L, Carmody J, Fujimoto JG, Duker JS (2012) Choroidal thickness in patients with diabetic retinopathy analyzed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Retina 32:563–568
Spaide RF (2009) Age-related choroidal atrophy. Am J Ophthalmol 147:801–810
Lehmann M, Wolff B, Vasseur V, Martinet V, Manasseh N, Sahel JA, Mauget-Faÿsse M (2013) Retinal and choroidal changes observed with ‘En face’ enhanced-depth imaging OCT in central serous chorioretinopathy. Br J Ophthalmol 97:1181–1186
Xu J, Xu L, Du KF et al (2013) Subfoveal choroidal thickness in diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Ophthalmology 120:2023–2028
Akay F, Gundogan FC, Yolcu U, Toyran S, Uzun S (2016) Choroidal thickness in systemic arterial hypertension. Eur J Ophthalmol 26(2):152–157
Kim M, Kim H, Kwon HJ, Kim SS, Koh HJ, Lee SC (2013) Choroidal thickness in Behcet’s uveitis: an enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography and its association with angiographic changes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 54:6033–6039
Yang HS, Joe SG, Kim JG, Park SH, Ko HS (2013) Delayed choroidal and retinal blood flow in polycythaemia vera patients with transient ocular blindness: a preliminary study with fluorescein angiography. Br J Haematol 161:745–747
Silverberg Donald S, Wexler Dov, Schwartz Doron (2015) Is correction of iron deficiency a new addition to the treatment of the heart failure? Int J Mol Sci 16:14056–14074
Aksoy A, Aslan L, Aslankurt M et al (2014) Retinal fiber layer thickness in children with thalassemia major and iron deficiency anemia. Semin Ophthalmol 29:22–26
Akdogan E, Turkyilmaz K, Ayaz T, Tufekci D (2015) Peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in women with iron deficiency anaemia. J Int Med Res 43:104–109
Oncel Acir N, Dadaci Z, Cetiner F, Yildiz M, Alptekin H, Borazan M (2015) Evaluation of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer measurements in patients with iron deficiency anemia with optical coherence tomography. Cutan Ocul Toxicol 21:1–6
Acknowledgements
The authors’ special thanks go to Halime YILDIZ, our experienced OCT technician.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Arifoglu, H.B., Kucuk, B., Duru, N. et al. Assessing posterior ocular structures in β-thalassemia minor. Int Ophthalmol 38, 119–125 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-016-0431-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-016-0431-0