Tractional retinal detachment related to hemoglobin C trait retinopathy. A case report.

Hemoglobin C disease is an uncommon disease that is generally considered a benign condition, causing only occasionally painless hematuria, osteomyelitis and dental abnormalities. Ocular manifestations have been rarely described in these patients. We report a novel ophthalmological manifestation of the disease. We present a 20-year-old woman that presented a progressive visual loss in her right eye due to a tractional retinal detachment. The left eye was apparently normal, but wide-field fluorescence angiography showed mild peripheral ischemia with multiple vascular abnormalities. Vitrectomy was performed and the systemic workup revealed the presence of a hemoglobinopathy C in heterozygosis. Hemoglobin C disease can be a sight-threating disease due to retinal proliferation, similarly to sickle cell retinopathy. Patients affected with this disease should undergo regular surveillance. Ultra-wide angiography is a helpful examination to detect peripheral ischemia in earlier stages.