The Spectrum of Ocular Manifestations among Renal Transplant Recipients

• Published in: Indian journal of transplantation Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 63 - 67
• Main Authors: Jain, Apoorva, Sen, Snigdha, Bhadauria, Dharmendra, Jain, Anu, Imchen, Merensoba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01-01-2024; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Belatacept; end-stage renal disease; kidney transplant; Kidneys; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; ocular manifestation; Ocular manifestations of general diseases; Organ transplant recipients; renal transplant recipients; steroid-induced cataract; Transplantation; India
• ISSN: 2212-0017; 2212-0025
• DOI: 10.4103/ijot.ijot_79_23

Purpose: The study aims to report various ocular manifestations among renal transplant recipients. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on renal transplant patients, with at least 4 months of posttransplant duration, attending a nephrology clinic. A comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation was performed to record various ocular manifestations. The statistical association between ocular findings and pretransplant as well as posttransplant duration was assessed. Results: One hundred and twenty-three eyes of 62 patients, with a mean age of 37.6 ± 8.2 years and functional graft, were included in the study. Diabetic nephropathy was found to be the most common underlying cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and renal transplant. Hypertensive retinopathy (37.4%) was found to be the most frequent ophthalmic manifestation, followed by diabetic retinopathy (24.39%), dry eye (22.76%), cataract (18.69%), and change in refractive error (17.89%). The occurrence of hypertensive retinopathy and refractive power change was found to be significantly associated with pretransplant dialysis duration. In contrast, concerning the posttransplant period, the frequency of all the major ocular manifestations, except the dry eye, was observed to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Patients with ESRD and renal transplant should be advised to undergo regular comprehensive eye examinations. Many ocular manifestations are preventable and/or treatable, thus interdisciplinary partnership between nephrologists and ophthalmologists is warranted to improve vision and quality of life in transplant recipients.