Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: Previous studies have reported that an elevated plasma homocysteine level is a risk factor for vascular disease. The aim of this study is to determine whether hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and whether it is a prognostic factor. Methods: Plasma homocysteine level was measured in 101 patients and compared to plasma homocysteine level of controls. A relation between plasma homocysteine level and the other known risk factors of retinal vein occlusion was studied, as well as a correlation between the clinical outcome of the RVO and the plasma homocysteine level. Results: The mean plasma homocysteine level was significantly more elevated in the 101 RVO patients than in the 29 controls (11,9mmol/l vs 8,6, p<0.001). We didn't find any relation between plasma homocysteine and others risks factors of vascular disease (except for the hematocrit level). Hyperhomocysteinemia was more frequent in the ischemic forms and in bilateral RVO, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Hyperhomocysteinemia seems to be an independant risk factor for RVO, but our study didn't evidence an association with a severe prognosis. Vitaminotherapy allows to decrease homocysteinemia but its efficacy in the prevention and in the treatment of RVO remains to be demonstrated.
Keywords: 615 vascular occlusion/vascular occlusive disease • 355 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment • 507 pathology: human