The ocular findings in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

57 cases with G6PD deficiency and 62 with normal G6PD activities as controls in Chonghua County, Guangdong Province were examined in the respects of visual acuity, color vision, corneal sensitivity, lens, vitreous and fundus. The results showed that the incidences of congenital lenticular opacities and congenital color blindness in G6PD deficiency group were higher than those in the controls. However, there were no findings such as pale conjunctiva, sallow sclera, pallor papillae and macular edema, which could be seen frequently in patients with favism. The hemoglobin values of all the cases were within normal range, which indicated that the subjects with G6PD deficiency usually didn't manifest hemolysis but only had a hereditary susceptibility, and the ocular findings in favism might result from hemolytic anemia, tissue anoxia and unknown toxic substances from vicia faba.