Ocular comorbidity in central retinal vein occlusion cases: Outcomes and interpretation of a cohort study

Abstract

Purpose : To study ocular comorbidity before and after central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Methods : Analysis of ocular comorbidity in 439 CRVO patients and 2,195 control subjects matched by age and gender. Risk factors 10 years before CRVO and incident comorbidity after CRVO were estimated using odds ratios (ORs) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs).

Results : The majority of the CRVO patients were between 60 to 79 years of age when they were diagnosed with CRVO. Ocular risk factors present within 10 years before CRVO comprised glaucoma (OR, 6.01; CI₉₅, 4.05-8.94) and cataract (OR, 2.13; CI₉₅, 1.45 to 3.12). The mean follow-up after CRVO was 5.7 years, during which CRVO patients had an increased risk of glaucoma (IRR, 16.7; CI₉₅, 9.32-30.1) and cataract 1.99 (IRR; CI₉₅, 1.39-2.84).

Conclusions : Glaucoma and cataract were more common in people who subsequently developed CRVO than in the background population. After CRVO, the incidence of both glaucoma and cataract was also higher than in the background population. Since CRVO can have an insidious onset, the results may be interpreted to mean that subclinical congestion of the central retinal vein predisposes to glaucoma, which may explain why splinter hemorrhages on or near the optic disc predispose to the development of glaucoma.

This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.