title: Association of exfoliation syndrome and central retinal vein occlusion: an ultrastructural analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate prospectively the frequency with which exfoliation syndrome (XFS) occurs in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) by clinical examination and ultrastructural examination of conjunctival biopsy specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational case series. Thirty-six eyes of 36 consecutive patients with CRVO were investigated for XFS by slit-lamp examination and conjunctival biopsy when XFS was not clinically visible on examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A clinical diagnosis of XFS or a positive biopsy result for exfoliation material (XFM) was present in 22 of the 36 patients (61%; 95% confidence interval 45-75%). Twelve of these 22 patients (54%) had a clinical diagnosis of XFS. Aggregates of XFM were identified ultrastructurally in the biopsy specimens in 10 of 24 patients with no clinical signs of XFS (42%). Patients with and without XFS had similar distribution of age, gender, race and prevalence of systemic disorders. Twelve of the 22 (54%) XFS patients had neither glaucoma nor ocular hypertension prior to the CRVO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In accordance with previous retrospective and histological studies, this prospective, in vivo study suggests that CRVO is commonly associated with XFS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Einhorn Clinical Research Center, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York City 10003, USA. ritchmd@earthlink.net
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ritch
authors.forename: Tiago S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Prata
authors.forename: Carlos Gustavo V
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: de Moraes
authors.forename: Roberto M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Vessani
authors.forename: Vital P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Anastasios G P
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Konstas
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liebmann
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schlötzer-Schrehardt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*