Retinopathy in ophthalmologically asymptomatic patients with abnormal hemoglobins.

A study of 70 ophthalmologically asymptomatic patients with abnormal hemoglobinopathy (AS, SS, S Thal) is presented. A significant number of SS and S Thal group patients had visual acuity of less than 20/20. Retinal vein dilation and tortuosity was observed in 54% of S Thal and 83% of SS patients. Early stages of proliferative retinopathy were encountered in 7% of SS and S Thal patients in the study. The importance of routine ocular examination including meticulous binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy with scleral depression in asymptomatic patients with abnormal hemoglobin is stressed.