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Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in children with iron deficiency anemia
Kemal Türkyilmaz1, Veysi Oner, Serdar Ozkasap
1Department of Ophthalmology, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Medical School, Rize, Turkey.
Insights
Children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) exhibit thinner peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. RNFL measurements correlate with hemoglobin levels, suggesting a link between anemia and optic nerve health in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
Background:
- Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common condition in children.
- Optic nerve health can be affected by systemic diseases.
- Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness is a key indicator of optic nerve health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare peripapillary RNFL thickness in children with IDA versus healthy controls.
- To investigate the correlation between RNFL thickness and hematologic parameters in children with IDA.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 40 children with IDA and 40 healthy controls.
- Peripapillary RNFL thickness measured using Cirrus HD optical coherence tomography (OCT).
- Age and sex matching were employed for control selection.
Main Results:
- Significantly thinner average RNFL and superior/inferior quadrant RNFL in the IDA group compared to controls (p<0.006).
- Correlations found between RNFL thickness (average, superior, inferior, temporal) and hemoglobin levels in the anemic group (p<0.001 to p=0.037).
Conclusions:
- Children with IDA demonstrate altered peripapillary RNFL thickness profiles.
- Ophthalmologists should consider IDA when interpreting RNFL thickness in children, especially for neuro-ophthalmic assessments.
Purpose:
To evaluate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in comparison with healthy controls and to investigate the correlation between peripapillary RNFL thicknesses and the hematologic parameters in these subjects.
Methods:
Forty eyes of 40 children with a diagnosis of IDA (anemic group) and 40 eyes of 40 age- and sex-matched healthy children (control group) were enrolled in this study. Peripapillary RNFL thickness measurements were performed using Cirrus HD optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Results:
Mean age of each group was 11.3±2.7 years. Average RNFL and RNFLs of superior and inferior quadrants were significantly thinner in the anemic group than in the control group (p=0.006, p=0.005, and p=0.005, respectively). In addition, average peripapillary RNFL thickness and RNFL thicknesses of superior, inferior, and temporal quadrants were correlated with hemoglobin levels (r1=0.734, p1<0.001, r2=0.456, p2=0.005, r3=0.598, p3<0.001, r4=0.349, p4=0.037, respectively) in anemic group. CONCLUSIONS. We found that children with IDA had different peripapillary RNFL profile measured by Cirrus HD spectral-domain OCT. We caution ophthalmologists when they measure RNFL thickness in children to diagnose glaucoma or other neuro-ophthalmic disorders.