Diagnostic ramifications of ocular vascular occlusion as a first thrombotic event associated with factor V Leiden and prothrombin gene heterozygosity

Abstract

Aim

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic ramifications of vascular occlusion of the ocular vein and artery as a first thrombotic event associated with factor V Leiden (FVL) and/or prothrombin gene (PTG) heterozygosity.

Methods

Patients with ocular vein (n=191) and artery (n=74) occlusion, free of cardioembolic etiologies, were sequentially referred from vitreoretinal specialists for measurement of thrombophilia-hypofibrinolysis and compared to 110 healthy normal controls.

Results

Of the 265 patients, 29 (11%; 17 women, 12 men) of all referred ocular vascular occlusion (OVO) cases were found to be heterozygous for FVL and/or PTG, including 16 with FVL, 12 with PTG, and 1 with both. Of the 29 cases, 16 had central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), 2 branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), 5 nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION), 3 retinal artery occlusion (RAO), 2 amaurosis fugax (AF), and 1 had both CRVO and RAO. Of the 16 FVL cases, 15 (94%) had OVO as a first thrombotic event without prior deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE); 6 (38%) also had other thrombotic events, including recurrent miscarriage, osteonecrosis, ischemic stroke, and/or ischemic colitis; and 5 (31%) had immediate family members with previous venous thromboembolism (VTE). Of the 12 PTG cases, 9 (75%) had OVO as a first thrombotic event, 5 (42%) experienced VTE other than DVT or PE, and 6 (50%) had immediate family members with VTE. In one patient with both FVL and PTG, DVT occurred before BRVO. Of the 17 women with FVL and/or PTG mutations, 7 (41%) experienced ≥1 miscarriage, 6 (35%) were on estrogen therapy, and 1 (6%) was on clomiphene.

Conclusion

Of the 265 patients with OVO, 29 (11%) had FVL and/or PTG, and 83% of these 29 cases presented with OVO as their first thrombotic event. By diagnosing thrombophilia as an etiology for OVO, the ophthalmologist opens a window to family screening and preventive therapy.

Keywords:

• factor V Leiden
• prothrombin gene mutation
• ocular vascular occlusion
• retinal vein occlusion
• retinal artery occlusion
• anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the Lipoprotein Research Fund of the Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.