Clinical Characteristics of Patients With CRVO in One Eye With Subsequent RVO in The Fellow Eye: A Retrospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To compare risk factors in patients with a central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in the first eye and a subsequent retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in the fellow eye versus those with only unilateral CRVO.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Records of patients who presented to the Duke Eye Center with unilateral CRVO were evaluated. Logistic regression models were performed to identify potential covariates of subsequent development of RVO in the fellow eye.

RESULTS: Of the 287 patients with CRVO in one eye, 31 (10.8%) developed an RVO in the fellow eye during a mean ± standard deviation follow-up of 36.7 months ± 38.86 months. The conversion rate of unilateral-to-bilateral RVO was 3.4% per year. Several comorbidities were observed to be unique to 25.8% of patients with bilateral RVO. Patients who used oral pentoxifylline (P = .008) or those who had an ischemic CRVO in the first eye (P = .001) were less likely to develop an RVO in the fellow eye.

CONCLUSION: This information may be used to develop a predictive model to assess the risk of developing bilateral RVO in patients with unilateral CRVO. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2019;50:444-449.].