title: Retinopathy in ophthalmologically asymptomatic patients with abnormal hemoglobins.
abstract: A study of 70 ophthalmologically asymptomatic patients with abnormal hemoglobinopathy (AS, SS, S Thal) is presented. A significant number of SS and S Thal group patients had visual acuity of less than 20/20. Retinal vein dilation and tortuosity was observed in 54% of S Thal and 83% of SS patients. Early stages of proliferative retinopathy were encountered in 7% of SS and S Thal patients in the study. The importance of routine ocular examination including meticulous binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy with scleral depression in asymptomatic patients with abnormal hemoglobin is stressed.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012805:Sickle Cell Trait / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal