Sickle cell disease Retinopathy (1572)
Key points below
What is sickle cell retinopathy?
The retina is a lining in the back of the eye. It helps us see. Sickle cell retinopathy occurs when the sickled red blood cells block the tiny blood vessels in the back of the eyes. This can damage the retina, which can lead to vision problems.
Permanent eye damage can occur if retinopathy is not caught in time. It is most common with Hemoglobin SC Disease, but it can occur with the other forms of Sickle Cell Disease.
What are the symptoms?
- Often there are no symptoms in the early stages of retinopathy.
Later there may be: - Vision problems.
- Times it seems like something is floating in the eyes.
What should be done if there are vision problems?
- Tell your child's hematologist if they have any vision problems.
- A special eye doctor called an ophthalmologist will need to be seen. This doctor will do a special eye exam.
- It is important to tell the eye doctor about the Sickle Cell Disease.
An eye doctor should still be seen on a regular basis. This should happen even if there are no problems. The sickle cell doctors and nurses will talk with you about how often to do this. Often, this starts when your child is 10 years old. It may be done sooner if your child has any problems with vision.