Can Heterozygosity of MTHFR and Hyperhomocysteinemia be Risk Factors for Both Retinal/Vitreal Hemorrhages in Retinal Vasculitis and Retinal Vein Occlusion?

Jelena Paovic,Zoran Dimcic,Vojislav Sredovic,Predrag Paovic

doi:10.5171/2015.246396

Abstract

Can Heterozygosity of MTHFR and Hyperhomocysteinemia be Risk Factors for Both Retinal/Vitreal Hemorrhages in Retinal Vasculitis and Retinal Vein Occlusion?

Highlights

Retinal vasculitis (RV) is an inflammation of retinal blood vessels, which can be isolated or associated with systemic vasculitis
Systemic retinal vasculitis was present in 19.6% of patients in the control group, while idiopathic retinal vasculitis was present in 80.4%
Patients in examined group had: retinal vein occlusion (RVO) without retinal vasculitis (40%), idiopathic retinal vasculitis (IRV) (20%), and retinal vein branch occlusion (BRVO) with retinal vasculitis (40%), respectively

Summary

Introduction

Retinal vasculitis (RV) is an inflammation of retinal blood vessels, which can be isolated or associated with systemic vasculitis. Muffing, narrowing and occlusion of blood vessels lead to retinal ischemia and are basic clinical signs noted on the retina [1]. In absence of retinal ischemia and independently of its etiology, some cases of retinal vasculitis are followed by pronounced retinal and vitreal hemorrhages and/ hemophthalmos. In these cases pathophysiological mechanisms can be based on thrombophilia and/ antiphospholipid syndrome if diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis are excluded. Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is the second most common retinal vascular occlusive disease that can affect people of all ages. According to Hayreh at al. and Mitchel et al RVO appears to be a condition with a multiple etiology and there is an increased incidence with age (patients are predominantly over 65) [2, 3]

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