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[Hemoglobinopathies and retinopathies in Lomé UHC]
Insights
Retinal complications are frequent in sickle cell disease patients, particularly in the SC genotype. Early screening and interventions like laser photocoagulation are crucial for prevention.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Hematology
- Medical Genetics
Background:
There are few publications concerning retinal complications of hemoglobinopathies in our country. We studied recruited patients to evaluate these complications.
Material And Methods:
From October 1993 to August 1995, 66 patients were recruited among clinical hematology out patients; all of them underwent acetate electrophoretic diagnosis and fluorescein angiographic examination.
Results:
The mean age of the patients was 26,92 years, ranging from 5 years to 50 years; the genotypic forms were 34 SC (51.51%), 15 SS (22.72%), 11 AC (16.66%), 2 AS (3.03%), 2 CC (3.03%), and 2 A2F (3.03%). Thirty eight patients (57.57%) had retinopathies. The majority were proliferative retinopathies in 55,26% cases and in 44,73% non proliferarive retinopathies. These retinopathies were essentially present with SC (26 cases for 34 SC, 76.47%), predominantly proliferative forms (21 cases for 26 SC, 80.76%).
Conclusion:
Retinal complications are common in Togolese sickle cell patients; clinical course usually leads to proliferations. Early screening could help improve prevention, including laser photocoagulation.