Relationship Between Retinal Vein Occlusion and Axial Length

Abstract

This study examined whether axial length is a local risk factor for central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). The study group consisted of 40 patients with unilateral CRVO and 77 patients with unilateral BRVO. The control group included 67 individuals who matched the study group patients in age, systemic hypertension, and diabetes mellitus status. The axial lengths of affected and fellow eyes of patients and controls were measured using A-scan ultrasonography. The axial length of affected eyes was statistically significantly shorter than that of unaffected eyes in the BRVO group (p < 0.05) but not in the CRVO group (p = 0.05). There were also statistically significant differences in axial length between control eyes and affected eyes in both the CRVO group (p < 0.05) and BRVO group (p < 0.05). Thus, shorter axial length could be a risk factor for developing CRVO and BRVO. The axial lengths of affected eyes in retinal vein occlusion patients tend to be shorter than those of unaffected eyes, especially in BRVO patients.