Abstract
Purpose :
Previous studies have shown that macular thinning is greater in sickle cell retinopathy as compared to normal controls. The authors performed a retrospective, observational analysis to determine which regions in the macula are thinnest in sickle cell retinopathy.
Methods :
Twenty-one eyes of 11 subjects with sickle cell hemoglobinopathies (SS and SC) with stages of sickle cell retinopathy ranging from I to IV (Goldberg stages) and eight eyes of 4 control subjects were included. Mean age was 47.8 years and 47.0 years, respectively. Using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), macular thickness measurements were taken at the fovea center and at eccentric distances 500 um, 1500 um, 3000 um, and 4000 um temporal to the fovea. A t-test was used for analysis.
Results :
Among the sickle cell retinopathy subjects, 2 eyes were stage I (9.5%), 9 eyes were stage II (66.7%), 2 eyes were stage III (9.5%), and 3 eyes were stage IV (19.0%). The average macular thickness for patients with sickle cell retinopathy was 284.4 um, 286.2 um, 261.9 um, 227.9 um, and 217.1 um at the foveal center and eccentric distances 500 um, 1500 um, 3000 um, and 4000 um temporal to the fovea, respectively. In healthy control patients, the average macular thickness was 286.4 um, 286.4 um, 266.4 um, 229.5 um, and 219.8 um, respectively. Patients with sickle cell retinopathy were found to have decreased thickness at the foveal center and 1500 um, 3000 um, and 4000 um temporal to the fovea; however, this was not found to be statistically significant (P > 0.05) due to limited sample size.
Conclusions :
Macular thickness in sickle cell retinopathy patients may be thinner at the foveal center and at temporal eccentric locations 1500 um, 3000 um, and 4000 um temporal to the fovea.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.