Risk factors for central retinal vein occlusion in young adults

Abstract

Purpose: Several risk factors have been identified for central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in older population. CRVO in young is uncommon, and the risk factors for this group are unclear. This large retrospective, cross-sectional study used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to evaluate the risk factors for CRVO in patients 18 to 40 years of age. Methods: The 2002 to 2014 NIS database was used. All patients 18 to 40 years of age with a primary diagnosis of CRVO were identified. Age- and gender-matched non-CRVO controls were randomly selected. The primary outcome was identification of risk factors for CRVO. Chi-square analysis and Firth logistic regression were performed with IBM SPSS 23 and R packages versions 3.4.3, respectively. p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 95 weighted young CRVO patients were identified. The average age was 31.44 ± 6.41 years with no gender predilection. Systemic and ocular conditions found to have statistically significant associations with CRVO included primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (OR 836.72, p < 0.001), retinal vasculitis (OR 705.82, p < 0.001), pseudotumor cerebri (OR 35.94, p < 0.001), hypercoagulable state (OR 25.25, p < 0.001), history of deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE) (OR 21.88, p < 0.001), and hyperlipidemia (OR 3.60, p = 0.003). Conclusion: The most significant risk factors for CRVO in young adults were POAG, retinal vasculitis, and pseudotumor cerebri. Hypercoagulable states and DVT/PE were also associated with CRVO in this population. Systemic inflammatory conditions were not associated with CRVO. Traditional risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes did not pose significant risks, whereas hyperlipidemia was deemed a significant risk factor.