title: Focal retinal phlebitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report three cases of solitary, focal retinal phlebitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational case series.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three eyes in three patients were noted to have unilateral decreased vision, macular edema, and a focal retinal phlebitis, which was not at an arteriovenous crossing. All three patients developed a branch retinal vein occlusion at the site of inflammation. These patients had no other evidence of intraocular inflammation, including vitritis, retinitis, retinal vasculitis, or choroiditis, nor was there any systemic disorder associated with inflammation, infection, or coagulation identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Focal retinal phlebitis appears to be an uncommon and unique entity that produces macular edema and ultimately branch retinal vein occlusion. In our patients, the focal phlebitis and venous occlusion did not occur at an arteriovenous crossing, which is the typical site for branch retinal venous occlusive disease. This suggests that our cases represent a distinct clinical entity, which starts with a focal abnormality in the wall of a retinal venule, resulting in surrounding exudation and, ultimately, ends with branch retinal vein occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Vitreous, Retina, Macula Consultants of New York, New York, New York 10022, USA.
authors.forename: Quan V
authors.initials: QV
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.forename: K Bailey
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Klancnik
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sorenson
authors.forename: Emmett T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Yannuzzi
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010689:Phlebitis / Q000150:complications*; D031300:Retinal Vasculitis / Q000150:complications*; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000209:etiology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology*