The effect of age and initial visual acuity on the systemic and visual prognosis of central retinal vein occlusion.
Papillophlebitis is the term that is often used to describe a central retinal vein occlusion with preserved visual acuity in a young, healthy patient. Among 194 patients with a diagnosis of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), 19 patients were identified who were under 50 years of age and who had visual acuity of 6/12 or better in the affected eye. These patients retained good vision in the affected eye during the course of the disorder with 17 eyes returning to 6/6. All of these patients remained healthy over a mean follow-up period of about four years. This group of patients was compared to a second group of 28 patients who also were under 50 years of age, but who had initial visual acuity in the affected eye less than 6/12. These patients had a variable visual outcome. In addition, they had a higher prevalence of systemic hypertension over the follow-up period than did a group of age-matched control subjects. An additional comparison was made to a group of 26 patients with visual acuity of 6/12 or better in the affected eye but who were over 50 years of age. Forty-six per cent of these patients had final visual acuity less than 6/12, and they had a higher prevalence of systemic vascular disease than did a group of age-matched control subjects.
Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
R J
RJ
D'Amato
N R
NR
Miller
S L
SL
Fine
C
C
Enger
P
P
Quinlan
M J
MJ
Elman
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity