Awareness of Retinopathy among Sickle Cell Patients

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a haemoglobinopathy that is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Retinopathy is a complication of SCD, which varies from mild peripheral retinopathy to severe proliferative retinopathy that can cause loss of vision.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2020 to January 2021 aiming to determine the knowledge of retinopathy among patients with sickle cell disease using a validated self-administered questionnaire.

Result: A total of 166 respondents completed the questionnaire. Females constituted the majority of participants (62.7%). The age group 31–40 years consitituted 28.3% and were associated with higher knowledge scores. The average knowledge score was also significantly higher in respondents from the Eastern region (B = 1.82, P < 0.05) compared to respondents from Riyadh. The main reason for not having an eye check was the perceived lack of importance of visits among 56.8%.

Conclusion: Sickle cell disease patients are prone to complications such as retinopathy which can be detected by frequent follow-up. Almost half of the studied sample showed above average knowledge of retinopathies related to sickle cell disease.