Evaluation of Choroidal Thickness in Children With Iron Deficiency Anemia
Ali Simsek1, Mehmet Tekin2, Abdurrahman Bilen1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Adiyaman University School of Medicine, Adiyaman, Turkey.
Insights
Children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) have thinner choroids than healthy children. This finding suggests potential early ocular blood circulation changes in pediatric IDA patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
Background:
- Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common condition in children.
- Ocular blood flow may be affected by systemic conditions like IDA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in choroidal thickness in children diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.
- To compare ocular parameters between children with IDA and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Utilized optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure choroidal thickness in 52 children with IDA and 54 healthy children (ages 3-16).
- Conducted comprehensive eye examinations and analyzed correlations between choroidal thickness and clinical/laboratory data.
Main Results:
- Children with IDA exhibited significantly thinner choroidal thickness compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001).
- No significant differences were found in visual acuity, intraocular pressure, corneal thickness, or axial length between groups.
- Choroidal thickness positively correlated with hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, iron, and ferritin levels.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric patients with IDA demonstrate reduced choroidal thickness.
- Choroidal thinning may indicate early ocular circulatory impairment in children with IDA, potentially without long-term atherosclerosis risk.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in choroidal thickness in children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA).
Methods:
Fifty-two patients with IDA and 54 healthy children between 3 and 16 years of age were enrolled in this study. After complete eye examinations were conducted for each participant, the choroidal thickness was measured using optical coherence tomography. Correlations between the choroidal thickness and clinical and laboratory parameters were also evaluated.
Results:
There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of visual acuity, intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, or axial length (P > 0.05). The choroidal thicknesses at the foveal center were 303.13 ± 27.14 μm in the IDA patients and 333.67 ± 39.77 μm in the healthy control children (P < 0.001); additionally, the choroidal thicknesses at each point within the horizontal nasal and temporal quadrants were thinner in the IDA group. There were positive correlations between the choroidal thickness and hemoglobin (r = 0.337; P < 0.001), mean corpuscular volume (r = 0.305; P = 0.001), iron (r = 0.264; P = 0.006), and ferritin (r = 0.287; P = 0.003) levels; however, there were no correlations between the clinical or ocular characteristics and the choroidal thickness.
Conclusions:
The patients with IDA had significantly thinner choroidal thicknesses than those of the healthy children. Choroidal thinning in childhood may be an early sign of deterioration in the ocular blood circulation, without any risk of atherosclerosis in advanced age in the patients with IDA.
More Related Videos
03:47Retinal and Choroidal Thickness Changes in Populations with Helicobacter pylori Infection by Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: November 1, 2024
05:35Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
Published on: January 19, 2024