Central retinal vein obstruction and carotid artery disease.
Thirty-seven consecutive patients (39 eyes) with a central retinal vein obstruction (CRVO) were studied in a cross-sectional fashion with intravenous fluorescein angiography and digitial subtraction carotid angiography. Among the 35 patients (37 eyes) with acceptable studies, 24 eyes, (64%) had an ischemic CRVO, 12 (33%) demonstrated a nonischemic CRVO, and one (3%) was indeterminate. A 17% incidence of ipsilateral atherosclerotic carotid artery obstruction greater than or equal to 50% was associated with both the ischemic (4/24 eyes) and nonischemic (2/12 eyes) groups. Overall, 13 of 35 (37%) patients with CRVO had demonstrable common or internal carotid artery atherosclerosis, an incidence no higher than found in a historical control sample studied postmortem. However, this incidence rose to 50% in patients with an ischemic CRVO and decreased to 17% in those with the nonischemic variety.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012169:Retinal Vein