Ocular manifestations and quality of life in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

AIM: To explore the relationship between ocular and systemic conditions and the impact of ocular complications on the quality of life (QOL) in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ALLO-HSCT). METHODS: Forty-four patients with severe hematopoietic disease were enrolled after ALLO-HSCT at our center from July 2018 to October 2020. They completed two questionnaires: the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the quality-of-life scale for Chinese patients with visual impairment (SQOL-DV1). Ocular conditions and systemic conditions were also assessed. RESULTS: Eye damage was correlated with total bilirubin (P=0.005), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (P=0.021). There was no significant correlation between the overall QOL score and OSDI (P=0.8226) or SQOL-DV1 (P=0.9526) scores. The OSDI and the overall QOL score were not correlated with ocular conditions, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, Schirmer tear test II, sodium fluorescein staining, tear film breakup time, and tear meniscus height. SQOL-DV1 was correlated with BCVA (P=0.0007), sodium fluorescein staining (P=0.007), and tear film breakup time (P=0.0146). CONCLUSION: In some patients, early ocular symptoms are not evident after ALLO-HSCT, while ocular surface complications can be observed after a comprehensive ophthalmological examination. Especially for those with elevated total bilirubin or GGT, regular ophthalmic follow-up visits are essential to diagnose and treat ocular graft versus host disease (oGVHD), especially for patients with elevated total bilirubin or GGT.