title: [Retinal impairment in young individuals with sickle cell anemia (hemoglobin SS disease) in university hospital in Northeastern of Brazil].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and categorize retinal vascular changes in patients with sickle cell anemia, as well as to compare diagnostic methods (indirect ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with sickle cell anemia over the age of seven were examined. Complete ophthalmologic examination with indirect ophthalmoscopy and angiography was performed in each patient. The fundoscopy results were grouped in 3 classes: normal; non-proliferative retinopathy, which includes vascular tortuosity, black sunburst, salmon-patch and peripheral closure/anastomoses; and proliferative retinopathy, related to neovascular proliferation. Angiography results were classified according to Goldberg classifications from stage I to V.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Retinopathy related to sickle cell anemia was seen in 62.3% (38/61) of the eyes checked. Neovascularization was observed in one eye. The frequency of bilateral changes in angiography was high. Non-proliferative retinopathy was more common, especially vascular tortuosities (17/61), followed by arteriovenous anastomoses in the retinal periphery (15/61) and arterial occlusions (5/61). The mean age of retinopathy group was 14.4 years old, significantly lower than the mean age of non-retinopathy group, which was 17.4. The result was normal in 16.4% (10/61) of the eyes in the fundoscopy exam, while angiography showed alterations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the results pointed to the conclusion that the non-proliferative retinal vascular changes are frequent and precocious in patients with sickle cell anemia (SS genotype). Fluorescein angiography is more sensitive in the diagnosis of retinopathy when compared to indirect ophthalmoscopy.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Oftalmologia, Fundação Altino Ventura, Recife (PE), Brasil.
authors.forename: Allisson Mário dos
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Gustavo Baptista de Almeida
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Faro
authors.forename: Marcus Vinicius Melo do
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Cristiano de Queiroz
authors.initials: Cde Q
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.forename: Bruno Campelo
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Rosana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cipolotti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult