Assessing posterior ocular structures in β-thalassemia minor.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of β-thalassemia minor on choroidal, macular, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness.

METHODS: To form the sample, we recruited 40 patients with β-thalassemia minor and 44 healthy participants. We used spectral-domain optical coherence tomography to take all measurements of ocular thickness, as well as measured intraocular pressure, axial length, and central corneal thickness. We later analyzed correlations of hemoglobin levels with ocular parameters.

RESULTS: A statistically significant difference emerged between patients with β-thalassemia minor and the healthy controls in terms of mean values of subfoveal, nasal, and temporal choroidal thickness (p = 0.001, p = 0.016, and p = 0.010, respectively). Except for central macular thickness, differences in paracentral macular thicknesses between the groups were also significant (superior: p < 0.001, inferior: p = 0.007, temporal: p = 0.001, and nasal: p = 0.005). Also, no statistically significant differences were noted for retinal nerve fiber layer thickness between two groups.

CONCLUSION: Mean values of subfoveal, nasal, temporal choroidal, and macular thickness for the four quadrants were significantly lower in patients with β-thalassemia minor than in healthy controls.