Duration of renal failure as risk factor for conjunctival squamous metaplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess ocular surface changes in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), to compare the results with the duration of illness.


METHODS
Impression cytology from 48 patients with CRF on regular hemodialysis and 16 age- and sex-matched control subjects were studied. Specimens were taken from the temporal bulbar conjunctiva using cellulose acetate filter paper.


RESULTS
Among the patients with CRF who were ill for 0-10 years, 25 patients (78.1%) disclosed grade 0-1, and 7 patients (21.9%) disclosed grade 2-3 cytologic changes, whereas in those with the duration of CRF > 10 years, 9 patients (56.2%) had grade 0-1 and 7 patients (43.8%) had grade 2-3 changes. Specimens from the control group revealed 93.8% grade 0-1 and 6.2% grade 2-3 changes (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The ocular surfaces of patients with CRF differ significantly from those of normal individuals, and the severity of conjunctival changes is related to the duration of CRF.
Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Necati
N
Demir
Mustafa
M
Altay
Elif
E
Ozer
Nurten
N
Unlü
Murat
M
Duranay
Hüseyin
H
Ustün
Sunay
S
Duman
D000328:Adult; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors