Comparison of central macular thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography in sickle cell hemoglobinopathy patients and age-matched controls – A comparative cross-sectional observational study

Purpose: To compare central macular thickness (CMT) using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in sickle cell hemoglobinopathy (SCH) patients and their age-matched controls. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional observational study to compare CMT using SD-OCT was done in SCH patients (Sickle cell anemia (SS), Sickle cell trait (AS), HbSC disease (SC), Sickle-Beta Thalassemia (S-Thal)) and their age-matched controls at a tertiary eye care center in Central India for two years. The study included two groups, the SCH patients in Group I and age-matched controls in Group II, with 58 subjects (116 eyes) in each group. SCH patients were recruited from the Sickle Cell Clinic in the hospital. Age-matched controls were selected from a general eye clinic in the same hospital. All patients underwent detailed ophthalmic examination consisting of visual acuity measurement, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, dilated fundoscopy, and central subfield macular SD-OCT imaging of each eye. Analysis of the findings was done by a single vitreoretinal surgeon. Statistical analysis was done. Results: The study included total of 232 eyes with 116 eyes in each group. The age ranged from 10 to 60 years with a mean age of 31.55 years in both groups. There were 31 males and 27 females in each group. The mean CMT in the right eye in cases and controls was 224.87 and 244.36 um, respectively, and in the left eye the CMT in cases and controls was 224.86 and 244.31 um, respectively. The P value in both groups (cases and controls) in both eyes was 0.001, i.e., statistically significant. Conclusions: The CMT in SCH patients was significantly less than that in age-matched controls.