title: Changes in the cornea related to sickle cell disease: a pilot investigation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate corneal structural changes (central corneal thickness, endothelial cell count, and cellular morphology) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 56 patients with SCD and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects without any eye disease aside from refractive errors. Endothelial cell density (ECD), percentage of hexagonality, and the coefficient of variation in cell size (CV) were measured using noncontact specular microscopy, and central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured by pachymetry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean CCT value was 509.6 ± 20.7 μm in the study group and 520.8 ± 23.6 μm in the control group. The mean ECD, CV, and percentage of hexagonality values in the study group were 2712 ± 335 cells/mm², 34.5 ± 5.3%, and 57.2 ± 6.6%, respectively, and 3030 ± 247 cells/mm², 31.6 ± 5.0%, and 60.4 ± 6.9% in the control group, respectively. Endothelial cell density (p = 0.001), CCT (p = 0.011), CV (p = 0.005), and percentage of hexagonality values (p = 0.018) were significantly different between the study and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the current study indicate that patients with SCD had considerable morphologic changes in the structure of the cornea when compared to healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mustafa Kemal University, Medical Faculty, Hatay - Turkey.
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coşkun
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mustafa Kemal University, Medical Faculty, Hatay - Turkey.
authors.forename: Özgür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: İlhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mustafa Kemal University, Medical Faculty, Hatay - Turkey.
authors.forename: Nilüfer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: İlhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mustafa Kemal University, Medical Faculty, Hatay - Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra Ayhan
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Tuzcu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mustafa Kemal University, Medical Faculty, Hatay - Turkey.
authors.forename: Mutlu Cihan
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Daglioğlu
authors.affiliation: Antakya State Hospital, Eye Clinic, Hatay - Turkey.
authors.forename: Hilal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kahraman
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mustafa Kemal University, Medical Faculty, Hatay - Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbeyli
authors.affiliation: Marmara Eye Center, Sakarya - Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdulhekim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yarbağ
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Medical Faculty, Hatay - Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Rami
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Helvaci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult