Quality of life in patients with oculocutaneous albinism

AbstractBACKGROUND:The social reality of the albino needs to be more studied in Brazil, as myths and social segregation regarding this illness are likely to be found in the country, with psychosocial and medical implications.OBJECTIVE:As this subject has not been referenced in previous scientific articles in Brazil, this research intends to evaluate the quality of life of the albinos that treated at our medical institution.METHODS:The quality of life was evaluated through the WHOQOL-BREF. Furthermore, two aspects of main relevance in the lives of the albinos were also objects of research, low vision and skin cancer. The sample consisted of forty oculocutaneous albinos and a control group of forty healthy individuals, matched by sex and age.RESULTS:Among the participants, 57.7% were between 18 and 40 years old, 28.2% were between 41 and 60, and 14.1% were over 60. 42.1% had skin cancer before the study, 18.4% had skin cancer during the study and 89.5% stated visual deficit. The results obtained in the questionnaires showed a statistically significant difference in the physical domain, with P < 0.001.CONCLUSION:Low vision combined with skin lesions and social stigma may contribute to disturbances in the quality of life of oculocutaneous albinos. The results presented in this study demonstrated the vulnerability of the affected individuals and the special care required by those patients, at the same time that the need for further research is highlighted in order to better elucidate the aspects related to albinism.

Color vision in patients with the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome

PURPOSE: To study color vision in patients with oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) METHODS: We evaluated color vision in 42 patients with OCA using the HRR color plates. Sixty seven percent of the patients had the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), diagnosed genetically or clinically. The remaining patients had unknown mutations leading to OCA. RESULTS: 47.6 of patients of OCA of all types included had a color vision defect. Of these, 55 were female and 45 were male patients. 50 of patients with the HPS (all types) had a color vision deficit. 42.9 of patients with OCA of unknown type had color weakness. 57.1 had normal color vision. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that many patients with OCA and the HPS have a mild red-green color perception deficiency that is not a sex linked trait. The prevalence of color vision deficits in our study population increased with decreasing visual acuity

Asociación de Albinismo oculocutáneo-ictiosis / Oculocutaneous albinism and ichthyosis association

Objetivo. Describir el caso de una adolescente femenina de 18 años de edad, la cual presentaba dos genodermatosis: albinismo oculocutáneo e ictiosis vulgar. Caso clínico. La paciente mostró retardo en el desarrollo neurológico durante su infancia. No se encontraron antecendentes de padecimiento similar en otros miembros de la familia. El diagnóstico de albinismo e ictiosis fue confirmado por el estudio de fondo de ojo y el histopatológico. El iris de la paciente era translúcido y presentaba hipopigmentación de fondo de ojo; histopatológicamente con hiperqueratosis moderada sin paraqueratosis, con formación de grandes tapones queratósicos, sin presencia de acantosis. Conclusión. El presente caso corresponde clínica e histopatológicamente a albinismo oculotáneo con ictiosis vulgar, sin antecedentes de padecimiento similar en otros miembros de la familia