Ocular complications in children after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation without total body irradiation

The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) without conditioning Total Body Irradiation (TBI) had lower or milder ocular complication rates in the pediatric population.

This study included all children who underwent HSCT without conditioning TBI at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center between the years 2001 and 2008. All children had an ophthalmic evaluation prior to and every four months after HSCT.

Of the 33 children who initially comprised this study, ten did not complete the minimal follow-up of four months, and were, thus, excluded from the study. Follow-up of the remaining 23 children ranged from four to 117 months. Dry eye related to chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) developed in eight children (35 %). In three cases, an additional complication was observed : corneal abscess, herpes zoster ophthalmicus, and bilateral subcapsular cataract (one case each). Posterior segment or neuro-ophthalmological complications were not observed in any patient.

In our study group, the preclusion of conditioning TBI before HSCT did not result in a decreased ocular complication rate compared to past publications, but complications were relatively mild and confined only to the anterior segment.