Zakariyya Saifullahi Muazu* and Mgbemena Emmanuela Onyinyechi

Optometry Department, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Zakariyya Saifullahi Muazu, Optometry Department, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.

Received: September 25, 2023; Published: October 24, 2023

Abstract

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is one of the most common life-threatening, single-gene inherited blood disorders in the world that leads to higher risk of early mortality. The increase in life expectancy of the SCD patients in recent years has led to the emergence of more complications of the disease, e.g. ocular complications. This increasing complication has prompted this study in order to discover the possible effects of SCD on oculo-visual functions. This study assessed the oculo-visual functions of patients living with sickle cell disease within Kano, in order to determine the possible effects of SCD on their oculo-visual functions. All patients aged from 7 years and above who reported for routine follow up in the adult and paediatric sickle cell clinics in Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital (MMSH) and Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Hospital (MAWH) during the period of this study were examined. A verbal interview was done to obtain the demographic data of the subjects. Visual functions testings and ocular examination were performed by the use of Snellen’s distance and near acuity charts, Amsler grid, Ishihara chart, MARS contrast sensitivity chart, direct ophthalmoscope and air-puff non-contact tonometer. The mean age and standard deviation of the participants were 20 years (cl: 17-26) and SD (10.02) respectively. Decreased visual acuity was found in 43.5%, visual impairment in 5.5% of 200 eyes of 100 participants. Contrast sensitivity loss in 84.5%. Visual field defects in 9.5%. Cataract in 2.5%, non-proliferative and proliferative sickle cell retinopathy findings in 11.0% and 0.5% respectively, whereas intraocular pressure and colour vision sensitivity were normal in all the 200 eyes. Ocular findings and oculo-visual function disorders occur in patients living with sickle cell disease in Kano with the exception of colour sensitivity and intraocular pressure that show normal results. These disorders occur in both males and females and also across all ages.

Keywords: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD); Non-Proliferative Sickle Cell Retinopathy; Proliferative Sickle Cell Retinopathy; Visual Impairment; Oculo-Visual Functions; Single-Gene Inherited Blood Disorders

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Citation

Citation: Zakariyya Saifullahi Muazu and Mgbemena Emmanuela Onyinyechi. “Oculo-visual Functions in Patients Living with Sickle Cell Disease in Kano". Acta Scientific Ophthalmology 6.11 (2023): 37-48.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2023 Zakariyya Saifullahi Muazu and Mgbemena Emmanuela Onyinyechi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.