Abstract
Purpose :
We determined whether the presence of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) or central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in one eye is associated with a decrease in the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the fellow eye in patients with diabetes greater than or equal to ten years. Usually, by 10 years, all diabetics develop some form of retinopathy.
Methods :
We performed a retrospective, observational study in diabetic patients (n = 21) with a history of retinal vein occlusion at the New Mexico VA Health Care System. Inclusion criteria included the diagnosis of BRVO or CRVO in one eye and the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus for greater than or equal to 10 years. Seven-field fundus photos were obtained in both eyes and were graded for presence or severity of DR by a retinal specialist. All subjects were male, the average age was 73.19 years (R = 56-89, SD = +/- 7.05) and the average duration of diabetes was 17.38 years (R = 10-40, SD = +/- 8.16). All of the patients had type 2 diabetes. By self-declared ethnicity reports, 11 subjects were Hispanic or Latino, one was African American, and the rest were non-Hispanic Whites. Out of 21 subjects, 15 had BRVO, and the remaining 6 had CRVO.
Results :
In 17 (81%) out of 20 eyes with RVO in one eye, there was no sign of diabetic retinopathy in the fellow eye as per fundus image grading. Only three fellow eyes (19%) had very mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) (less than five microaneurysms per eye).
Conclusions :
The presence of retinal vein occlusion in one eye appears to prevent the development of DR or slow down the progression of DR, if present. Whether this “protection” is due to genomics or other anatomic hemodynamics alterations warrants further investigation.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.