Prevalence of ocular complications of sickle cell disease in children seen at a tertiary health facility in Southern Ghana.

Objectives: To determine the spectrum of ocular complications of sickle cell disease (SCD) and age of onset of proliferative sickle cell retinopathy (PSR) in children attending the pediatric clinic at a tertiary hospital in southern Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional study of all children with SCD in steady state, ages 2 to 16 years. Demographic and clinical data were recorded using predesigned forms. The ocular manifestations of SCD were classified as either proliferative or non-proliferative based on the presence or absence of neovascularization, respectively. Results: Included in this study were 294 children, (53.4% males), mean age 9.2 ± 3.7 years and majority had HbSS-199 (67.9%) and HbSC-74 (25.3%) genotypes. Comma-shaped conjunctiva vessels were the commonest anterior segment manifestation occurring in 85% of children. Non-proliferative posterior segment signs included: venous tortuosity 69 (23.5%), salmon-patch hemorrhages 4 (1.4%), iridescent spots 38 (12.9%), and black sunburst 24 (8.2%). Prevalence of PSR of any stage among children with HbSS was 2.5% (5/199) and 8.1% (6/74) among those with HbSC ( Conclusion: Comma-shaped conjunctiva vessels were the commonest anterior segment manifestation of SCD, and retinal venous tortuosity was the most common posterior segment manifestation. Proliferative retinopathy was more common in HbSC genotype.