[Selective thrombophilia screening of young patients with retinal vein occlusion]

Abstract

Background: The potential impact of coagulation abnormalities on retinal vascular occlusive diseases, individually and in combination with cardiovascular risk factors, remains unclear.

Patients and methods: In a prospective case-control study a cohort of 74 young patients with central, hemicentral or branch retinal vein occlusion (RVO) (<or= 45 years at the time of the RVO or a previous thromboembolic event) and 74 subjects matched for age and sex were prospectively screened for thrombophilic risk factors.

Results: Overall, thrombophilic defects were found to be present in 38 of the 74 patients (51.4 %) and in 8 of 74 (10.8 %) controls (p < 0.0001). We found a strong association between the presence of thrombophilic disorders and a family history of thromboembolism (p < 0.0001). Patients without cardiovascular risk factors had a statistically significant higher frequency of coagulation disorders than patients with these risk factors (p = 0.0025).

Conclusions: Our results indicate that thrombophilic disorders are associated with the development of retinal vein occlusion. Selective screening of young patients, patients with a personal or family history of thromboembolism, and patients without cardiovascular risk factors may be helpful in identifying retinal vein occlusion patients with thrombophilic defects.