EC Ophthalmology

Background: Retinal vein occlusion is an obstruction of the normal retinal venous system that typically occurs at the arteriovenous crossing or lamina cribrosa. It is the second most common retinal vascular disease following diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: This ophthalmic institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to October 2022. All consecutive new patients who visited the Menelik II Hospital Ophthalmology Department Retina Unit, Nisir Specialized Eye Clinic, and Biruh Vision Eye Care Center during the study period were included. The data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered tool. The collected data were coded and entered into Epi Data version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 26.

Results: A total of 107 patients with retinal vein occlusion were enrolled; the mean age was 51.2 ± 11.7 years. Two-thirds of the patients were males (71 [66%]). Retinal vein occlusion was unilateral in 104 (97.2%) patients. Almost two-thirds of patients, 68 (64%), with retinal vein occlusion had central retinal vein occlusion. The most common anatomic location of branch retinal vein occlusion was the supertemporal region in 19 (79.1%) patients. Hypertension and glaucoma were the most frequent systemic and ocular risk factors, respectively, in 77 (68.2%) and 21 (19.6%) patients with retinal vein occlusion. The most common complication of retinal vein occlusion was macular edema (77, 72%).

Conclusion: Retinal vein occlusion was an important cause of monocular visual impairment in our study. Hypertension and glaucoma were the most common risk factors. We recommend that all new patients with retinal vein occlusion undergo a systemic evaluation.

Keywords: Retinal Vein Occlusion; CRVO; BRVO; Clinical Patterns; Ethiopia

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