Ocular disorders in renal transplant patients

ABSTRACT

To evaluate patients with renal transplantation for abnormal ocular findings and to determine the association of these findings with pretreatment dialysis duration, immunosuppressive regimen and underlying disease causing renal failure. This cross-sectional study was performed on 150 patients who had undergone kidney transplantation for at least three months and with serum creatinin < 3 mg/dl. All patients underwent ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity, slit lamp biomicroscopy and dilated funduscopy. This study included 91 male and 59 female subjects with mean age of 39 years. No abnormal ocular findings was found in 10.7%; there was at least one ocular disorder in 89.3% including visual acuity cataracts [24%], pinguecula [17.3%], pigmentary retinal epitheliopathy [14%], arteriovenous crossing changes [8.6%], proliferative diabetic retinopathy [6%], central serous chorioretinopathy and retinal vein occlusion [each in 3.3%] and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, optic nerve atrophy and significant macular edema due to diabetes [each in 2.7%]. Abnormal ocular findings had no correlation with underlying disease and cyclosporine or prednisolone usage but significantly increased with increase in transplant duration, pretransplantation dialysis duration and azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil consumption. Ophthalmic disorders are frequent in renal transplant patients, therefore periodic ophthalmic evaluation is strongly recommended