Peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in women with iron deficiency anaemia

Objective To evaluate peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness in adult women with iron deficiency anaemia and healthy control subjects. Methods Women with iron deficiency anaemia and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were sequentially recruited and underwent detailed ophthalmic examination, including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Serum haemoglobin (Hb), iron and ferritin concentrations, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) and mean corpuscular volume were determined. Results Peripapillary RNFL thicknesses in the nasal and inferior quadrants were significantly smaller in patients (n=40) than in controls (n=40). In the patient group, there were significant correlations between inferior quadrant RNFL thickness and Hb, and between nasal quadrant RNFL thickness and serum iron and ferritin concentrations, and TIBC. Conclusion Iron deficiency anaemia reduces RNFL thickness in adult women.