Hematologic abnormalities associated with various types of retinal vein occlusion

Abstract

Our study showed that a variety of hematologic abnormalities may be seen in association with different types of RVO, and any generalization about these disorders applied to all RVO patients may be misleading. The evidence of our study and in the literature indicates that there is no good reason why all patients with RVO should be subjected to extensive, expensive, special hematologic and hypercoagulability investigations, unless, of course, there is some clear indication; the routine, inexpensive hematologic evaluation is usually sufficient for RVO patients. Treatment with anticoagulants or platelet anti-aggregating agents may adversely influence the visual outcome, without any evidence of protective or beneficial effect.

Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

“…I [ 50 ] investigated hematologic abnormalities in 133 (95 major and 38 macular) BRVO patients by routine studies, in 27 platelet aggregation, in 30 antithrombin III, and in 33 α 2 -globulin studies. The fi ndings are discussed at length elsewhere [ 50 ].…”

Optimal Treatment of Retinal Vein Occlusion: Canadian Expert Consensus

“…Although these 2 entities may share some common cardiovascular and hypercoagulation risk factors, it is important to understand that they are separate entities requiring different management strategies and leading to different complications. Moreover, several studies have suggested that carrying out exhaustive tests for thrombophilia in RVO in the absence of a suggestive medical history is not necessary [1,28,29]. Rehak et al [29] suggested that the role of thrombophilic disorders is much more important in patients without acquired risk factors, i.e.…”

Hemicentral Retinal Vein Occlusion

“…24 ), I discussed the role of thrombophilia in CRVO and that holds good for hemi-CRVO as well. There, I [ 5 ] critically reviewed the literature about the prevalence of various hematologic abnormalities. I found that the negative fi ndings about the association between those hematologic abnormalities and development of retinal vein occlusion contradicted the positive fi ndings, because of fl aws in the latter studies.…”