A Study of Ocular Changes Occurring in Blood Dyscrasias

Introduction The ocular manifestations of blood dyscrasias are protean and reflect to the high vascularity and unique vascular anatomy of the eye. They may be present along with disordered findings of the cellular elements of blood or may arise during the course of the disease or as a consequence of treatment. Objective The study is undertaken to describe the various ocular changes seen in blood disorders and also to know the relationship between the degree of these changes and the coexisting blood picture. Methodology This is a study of 135 patients of various age groups with different types of hematological disorders for a period of one year from July2007 to June 2008 at Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Gauhati Medical College Hospital, Guwahati, Assam. Results and Observations Out of 135 patients, 76 patients (57 %) had hematological malignancies, Acute Myeloid Leukemia being the single largest group, 49 patients (36 %) with anemia and 10 patients (7 %) had bleeding disorders.60 % out of 135 patients examined for ocular findings showed retinopathy in 47 patients (34.81 %). Discussion The ocular changes of blood dyscrasias are not uncommon as is proved by various clinical and pathological studies. These changes in the eye are due to the hemorrhagic effect of the blood disorders or due to the infiltration of the ocular tissues by malignant cells.