Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in children with β-thalassemia major

PURPOSE: To measure the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) in children with β-thalassemia major and to compare with healthy controls. METHODS: A total of 47 patients with β-thalassemia major and 51 healthy controls were included. Each subject underwent a standard ophthalmological examination. RNFLT measurements were performed using optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Mean age of the patient group and healthy controls were 13.7 ± 2.1 and 14.3 ± 2.2 years, respectively. Mean peripapillary RNFL thickness was 94 µm in the patient group, and 100 µm in the control group (p < 0.01). In patients with β-thalassemia major, RNFL was thinner in all quadrants than control subjects. Within the β-thalassemia major group neither average RNFLT nor each four quadrant RNFLT were correlated with the age, serum ferritin or serum hemoglobin levels (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, we observed RNFL was thinner in patients with β-thalassemia major. Thinning of RNFL did not correlate with hemoglobin or ferritin levels.