Refractive Errors in Thalassemia Patients

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of refractive error among thalassemia patients.

METHOD: This cross sectional study was performed in duration of six months at Sir Ganga Ram hospital from July, 2023 to August, 2023. A total of hundred (n=100) thalassemia patients, were included in this study between the age range of 17 to 30 years. All subjects with thalassemia were previously diagnosed. Objective refraction was accomplished with Auto-Refractometer (Axis), and vision was examined with Snellen chart/Log Mar chart. SPSS version 26 was used to analyze the results. Chi-Square test was applied to find the significance of data. P-value <0.05 was considered as significant.

Results: The mean age of participants was 21.28±3.39 years.   In the right eye of thalassemia patients, the result showed that 51% were emmetropic, 11% had hyperopia, 1% had hyperopic astigmatism, 20% had myopia, and 17% had myopic astigmatism. In the left eyes of patients, 52% were emmetropic, 10% had hyperopia, 2% had hyperopic astigmatism, 18% had myopic astigmatism, and 18% had myopia. P-value was 0.043.

Conclusion: The cross sectional study results conclude that patient’s vision may not be significantly affected by thalassemia. Thalassemia patients were more effected with Myopia. While hyperopic astigmatism was least effected.