title: A cross-sectional study on vision-related quality of life in patients with ocular GvHD.
abstract: Ocular GvHD affects about 40-60% of patients receiving bone marrow transplantation. Ocular complaints worsen quality of life (QoL), which, besides survival time, is a primary end point in a patient's follow-up. The aim of our study was to assess the ocular surface status and vision-related QoL (VRQoL) and explore the potential determinants in VRQoL in patients with chronic GvHD with ocular involvement. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated 40 patients with ocular GvHD after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation assessing ocular symptoms and signs, VRQoL and ophthalmologic parameters. The median age was 52.1 years; 32.5% were females. Most of them presented a multiple organ involvement. Ophthalmological parameter examinations were on average abnormal. Corneal staining was severe/very severe in 25%; conjunctival staining in 10% of subjects. The worse QoL scores were on 'general vision', 'ocular pain', 'vision-specific mental health' and 'vision-specific role difficulties'. Both symptoms and sign scores indicate poor VRQoL. A lower VRQoL was related to schooling level, job position, underlying disease and extracorporeal photopheresis. Corneal staining, Schirmer and tear film breakup time were negatively associated to visual function-related subscales. An accurate ophthalmological and VRQoL assessment should be mandatory for a long time to promptly recognize early signs of ocular suffering, and to prevent irreversible ocular complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7146-0678
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pezzotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Biostatistic and Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Scientific Direction, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scudeller
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Antoniazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.affiliation: Immunohaematology and Transfusion Service, Apheresis Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perotti
authors.affiliation: Immunohaematology and Transfusion Service, Apheresis Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Fante
mesh_terms: D064591:Allografts; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life