Comparison of systemic conditions at diagnosis between central retinal vein occlusion and branch retinal vein occlusion

OBJECTIVE: To compare systemic conditions at the time of diagnosis between patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). DESIGN: This study included patients diagnosed with CRVO or BRVO between February 2009 and August 2017 at three branch hospitals of Hallym University Medical Center. Demographic and anthropometric variables, systemic comorbidity profiles, and laboratory findings at diagnosis were collected from a clinical data warehouse system, and were compared between the CRVO and BRVO groups. RESULT: Four hundred and seventeen patients with CRVO and 1,511 patients with BRVO were included. The mean age was 61.8 ± 13.9 years, which was comparable between two groups (P = .332). Female proportion was higher in the BRVO group (55.0%) than in the CRVO group (48.0%; P = .013). Diabetes mellitus (P = .017) and chronic kidney disease (P = .004) were more prevalent in the CRVO group. Serum homocysteine level was abnormally high in 23.5% of CRVO patients and in 8.4% of BRVO patients (P < .001). Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels were abnormally elevated in more subjects with CRVO (P = .002). CONCLUSION: CRVO is associated with higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, as well as with elevated serum homocysteine level. These results might suggest a difference between the pathophysiologies of CRVO and BRVO.