title: Case report: branch retinal vein occlusion and primary antiphospholipid syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is commonly encountered in older patients with vascular disease. This report presents a case of BRVO in an atypically young patient that precipitated additional testing and a subsequent diagnosis of primary antiphospholipid syndrome. This illustrates a need for a thrombophilic evaluation in atypical patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 33-year-old white man presented with a BRVO in the left eye. Laboratory studies found the presence of persistently elevated anticardiolipin immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antibodies in the absence of causative systemic disease, conferring the diagnosis of primary antiphospholipid syndrome and supporting a thrombotic component of this BRVO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presentation of a BRVO in young patients with minimal observable retinal effects from classic BRVO risk factors may indicate the necessity of a hematologic evaluation to determine possible compounding causes. Here we show a methodical inspection of the cause of an atypical BRVO and, more specifically, consideration for hypercoagulable pathologies and their treatment in such patient encounters.
authors.affiliation: Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, Virginia 24153, USA. ollieali1@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: William Scott
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Slagle
authors.forename: Ania M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hamp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000032:analysis; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid