Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine the association between central corneal thickness (CCT) and retinal vein occlusion.
Methods: :
This prospective, case–controlled study compared CCT as determined by ultrasound pachymetry (DGH technology, Pachette 2 Ultrasonic Pachymetry) in 14 patients with a history of branch (11) or central (3) retinal vein occlusion within the last 5 years to a control group of 15 patients matched for age, race, gender, refractive error and medical comorbidities. Three patients in the vein occlusion group and 2 patients in the control group had open–angle glaucoma.
Results: :
Mean CCT of 28 eyes of 14 patients with retinal vein occlusion was 561.89 +/– 36.62. In comparison, mean CCT of 30 eyes of 15 control patients was 536.93 +/– 24.96. A two–tailed t–test found this difference to be significant (p<0.01).
Conclusions: :
It has been postulated that ocular hypertension and open–angle glaucoma are risk factors for retinal vein occlusion although the exact relationship between them is unclear. CCT, however, had not been measured consistently at the time of these observations. If retinal vein occlusions are, indeed, associated with thicker corneas as this study suggests, the intraocular pressure measurements of those patients may have been biased, appearing relatively high. Alternatively, thicker CCT may serve as a marker for venous occlusion independent of its effect on intraocular pressure measurement. The finding of increased CCT in patients with retinal vein occlusion suggests a role for CCT in determining both the risk factors and pathogenesis of vein occlusions.
Keywords: vascular occlusion/vascular occlusive disease • cornea: clinical science • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: natural history