rss
Br J Ophthalmol 1985;69:629-632 doi:10.1136/bjo.69.8.629
  • Research Article

Conjunctival sign in sickle cell anaemia: an in-vivo correlate of the extent of red cell heterogeneity.

  1. M S Roy,
  2. G P Rodgers,
  3. M J Podgor,
  4. C T Noguchi,
  5. A W Nienhuis and
  6. A N Schechter

      Abstract

      A consecutive series of 22 stable adult inpatients with sickle cell anaemia were examined for the presence and severity of spontaneous 'comma' signs of the conjunctiva. Fifteen patients had severe conjunctival signs (more than 10 commas in the worse eye). The presence of severe conjunctival signs was associated with a broader distribution of intraerythrocytic haemoglobin concentrations (p = 0.0005). The patient group with severe conjunctival signs was not found to be significantly different from the group without such signs for age, sex, haemoglobin value, reticulocyte count, alpha-globin gene number, percentage fetal haemoglobin, or the proportion of very dense cells (CHC greater than 37 g/dl). Thus the singular heterogeneity of the erythrocytes in sickle cell disease may be indicative of the factor(s) responsible for the diagnostic comma sign.

      This Article

      1. Abstract
      2. PDF

      Responses

      1. Submit a response
      2. No responses published

      Register for free content

      The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

      Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.