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Temporal Macular Atrophy as a Predictor of Neovascularization in Sickle Cell Retinopathy
Background And Objective:
To evaluate the association between temporal macular atrophy and the presence of neovascularization in eyes with sickle cell disease (SCD).
Patients And Methods:
Retrospective, case-controlled study identifying 64 eyes from 38 consecutive patients with SCD. Dilated funduscopic examination and wide-field fluorescein angiography were used to identify the Goldberg stage of proliferative sickle cell retinopathy. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images were analyzed for the presence of temporal macular atrophy. The association between temporal macular atrophy and neovascularization was then evaluated.
Results:
Temporal macular atrophy had a sensitivity of 27%, a specificity of 67%, a positive predictive value of 83%, and a negative predictive value of 13% for identifying neovascularization.
Conclusion:
Although the presence of temporal macular atrophy is not sensitive enough to be used as a screening test, if seen in a patient with SCD, the physician should be alerted to the strong possibility that peripheral neovascularization may be present.
