Güvenç U, Ünlü N, Yaralı HN, Özbek NY. Does thalassemia truly cause microvascular changes without us noticing? An optical coherence tomography angiography study of the children with beta-thalassemia.
Int Ophthalmol 2023;
43:3755-3765. [PMID:
37389762 DOI:
10.1007/s10792-023-02786-z]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE
It was aimed to evaluate the retinochoroidal microvascular alterations of pediatric beta-thalassemia patients and investigate the effect of blood transfusion on perfusion among transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT), by means of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
METHODS
In this multicentered, prospective, cross-sectional study, 56 TDT, 14 non-TDT (NTDT), and 63 healthy children were evaluated. The vessel density (VD) in superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus, radial peripapillary capillary network, choriocapillaris, and the foveal avascular zone area (FAZ) were evaluated by OCTA. Before and after transfusion values of the TDT group were compared, and correlations were made with blood values and iron accumulation.
RESULTS
Foveal and parafoveal zones were significantly thinner among TDT patients, with larger FAZ area. Macula VD of SCP and ppVD was lowest in NTDT group. In the TDT group, a decrease in retinal nerve fiber thickness and ppVD values was detected after transfusion. A negative significant relationship was found between both hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Htc), and ppVD.
CONCLUSIONS
OCTA provides a better insight into retinal and choriocapillaris vascular impairment influenced by tissue hypoxia and oxidative stress in different clinical phenotypes of beta-thalassemia.
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