The anterior chamber angle, the intraocular pressure, and the globe biometric parameters in children with β-thalassemia major

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP), anterior chamber angle (ACA), and globe biometric parameters in β-thalassemia major children and the correlations of these changes. Materials and methods: Eighty-four eyes were included (42 eyes of thalassemia patients and 42 eyes of control). All participates underwent head circumference and height measurements, full ophthalmic examination, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), and A-scan biometry. Results: The temporal angle of anterior chamber (T-ACA) was significantly narrower in thalassemia patients with p value = 0.008. While the nasal angle showed a nonsignificant narrowing with p value = 0.153. This narrowing was positively correlated with the height, and negatively correlated with the head circumference. Intraocular pressure was statistically higher in thalassemia patients with p value = 0.000. The increased IOP was positively correlated with the head circumference and the lens thickness (LT) and negatively correlated with T-ACA, axial length (AL), vitreous chamber depth (VCD), and anterior chamber depth (ACD). Axial length, ACD, and VCD significantly decreased with p value = 0.000 for all with a positive correlation with the height and a negative correlation with the head circumference. The LT increased in thalassemia group with p value = 0.000. This increase was positively correlated with the head circumference and negatively with the height. Also, there was steeper corneal curvature in thalassemia group with p value = 0.023 and 0.015 (for K1 and K2, respectively). No significant change was observed in corneal thickness in both groups with p value = 0.810. Conclusion: Narrower T-ACA, increased IOP, shorter (AL, VCD, and ACD), steeper corneal curvature, and thicker lens were found in thalassemia patients.