Oladimeji Oluwatoyin I, Adeodu Oluwagbemiga O, Onakpoya Oluwatoyin H, Adegoke Samuel A
Department of Paediatrics, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria.
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria.
Eur J Ophthalmol. 2021 Sep;31(5):2659-2665. doi: 10.1177/1120672120957615. Epub 2020 Sep 9.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) ranks high among genetic disorders worldwide. It is characterised by repeated vaso-occlusion with resultant end-organ damage. This process can occur in all vascular beds in the body, including ocular blood vessels and may cause irreversible blindness in advanced stages. Little is known of the relationship between the prevalence of ocular abnormalities among children with SCD and their disease severity.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at the Paediatric Haematology Clinics and the Eye Centre of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife. Children with SCD in steady state were recruited from the Haematology Clinics and examined for ocular abnormalities at the Eye Centre of the hospital. The subjects SCD severity grade was determined using a previously validated scoring system.
One hundred and twenty (120) children aged 5 to 15 years were examined. Of these, 72 had one or more ocular abnormalities giving the prevalence of ocular abnormalities among them to be 60.0%. Though a higher proportion of children with moderate disease, 23 (65.7%) of 35, compared to those with mild disease, 49 (57.6%) of 85 had ocular abnormalities, this difference was not statistically significant, = 0.412.
Ocular abnormalities among Nigerian children with SCD are common even in steady-state, but not significantly associated with disease severity. Periodic screening for ocular abnormalities should thus be done on them irrespective of disease severity.
镰状细胞病（SCD）在全球遗传性疾病中位列高位。其特征为反复的血管阻塞，进而导致终末器官损伤。这一过程可发生于身体的所有血管床，包括眼部血管，在疾病晚期可能导致不可逆的失明。对于患有SCD的儿童眼部异常患病率与其疾病严重程度之间的关系，人们知之甚少。
在伊费的奥巴费米·阿沃洛沃大学教学医院综合院区（OAUTHC）的儿科血液科诊所和眼科中心开展了一项描述性横断面研究。从血液科诊所招募处于病情稳定期的SCD患儿，并在医院眼科中心对其进行眼部异常检查。使用先前验证的评分系统确定受试者的SCD严重程度分级。
对120名5至15岁的儿童进行了检查。其中，72名儿童存在一种或多种眼部异常，其眼部异常患病率为60.0%。虽然中度疾病患儿中出现眼部异常的比例更高，35名中有23名（65.7%），而轻度疾病患儿中85名有49名（57.6%）出现眼部异常，但这一差异无统计学意义，P = 0.412。
尼日利亚患有SCD的儿童即使在病情稳定期也常见眼部异常，但与疾病严重程度无显著关联。因此，无论疾病严重程度如何，都应对他们进行定期的眼部异常筛查。
