Posterior tractional retinal breaks complicating branch retinal vein occlusion

A total of 358 patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) were reviewed to examine the relationship between branch retinal vein occlusion with neovascularization elsewhere (NVE), vitreous hemorrhage, and posterior tractional retinal breaks. Twenty-eight of 358 (7.8%) BRVO patients had vitreous hemorrhage. In this group of 28 patients, 24 of the 28 (85.7%) had NVE. Of the 24 BRVO patients with vitreous hemorrhage and NVE, six (21.4%) were found to have posterior tractional retinal breaks adjacent to avulsed neovascular tissue. These data indicate a strong association between BRVO patients with vitreous hemorrhage and posterior tractional retinal breaks due to avulsion of neovascular tissue.