Central retinal vein occlusion and thrombophilia

Central retinal vein occlusion is one of the commonest vascular diseases of the eye. The pathogenesis is multifactorial with both local factors and systemic diseases being aetiologically important. Many thrombophilic conditions have recently been identified and studies looking at their potential role in CRVO have been undertaken. The aim of this review is to critically appraise these studies as to date many have given conflicting results, making it far from clear what role thrombophilic conditions play in CRVO. It appears that hyperhomocysteinaemia and antiphospholipid syndrome are causes of CRVO and there is evidence that disorders causing hypofibrinolysis may also be important. The common hereditary thrombophilic conditions however do not appear to be strong risk factors but larger studies are needed for a definitive answer.