One in three children with sickle cell disease had retinopathy because of disease, leading to calls for more frequent eye exams for paediatric sickle cell patients.
Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders that blocks blood flow because the cells become crescent or sickle shaped and do not move easily. The blockage in blood flow can lead to vision problems and other health issues.
With the lack of clarity in research for treating adults with sickle cell retinopathy, Dr Mary Ellen Hoehn, from the Department of Ophthalmology in the University of Tennessee (UT), sought to find the answers on the best treatments for children with sickle cell retinopathy.
The study, by Dr Hoehn and her colleague, Dr Barbara Smith, is currently in process for publication.
… 0ne in three children with sickle cell disease experienced retinopathy, of which 9% required treatment
The team analysed medical records for 652 patients between ages 10 and 25 over a 12-year time frame.
They found one in three children with sickle cell disease experienced retinopathy, of which 9% required treatment. They also found that 33% had non-proliferative retinopathy, or leaking of blood vessels in the retina, and 6% had proliferative retinopathy, the growth of new blood vessels in the retina.
“It showed a higher rate of retinopathy in the paediatric age group than prior studies. Our rate of retinopathy was more in keeping with what’s been reported in the adult literature,” Dr. Hoehn said in a news release from UT.
They also assessed the effectiveness of treatments for sickle cell retinopathy and discovered that hydroxyurea, a treatment to improve the flexibility of red blood cells, and chronic blood transfusions were associated with decreased rates of retinopathy.
“Hopefully it will encourage physicians to stress the need for screenings in paediatric patients with sickle cell, not just waiting until they are adults,” Dr Hoehn said.
Reference
1.University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Children with sickle cell disease need vision exams as often as adults, researchers find (news webpage, 11 March 2024), available at: news.uthsc.edu/children-with-sickle-cell-disease-need-vision-exams-as-often-as-adults-researchers-find/ [accessed 12 March 2024].
