Prevalence of factor V Leiden in patients with retinal vein occlusion.

Purpose: Factor V Leiden mutation is a common genetic defect associated with a tendency to venous thrombosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of factor V Leiden in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Methods: Blood samples were obtained from fifty RVO patients and were tested for factor V Leiden using DNA analysis. Twenty-three patients had central RVO (CRVO), twenty-five had branch RVO (BRVO) and two had CRVO in one eye and BRVO in the other eye.

Results: DNA analysis showed that only 4 patients (8%) were heterozygous carriers of factor V Leiden. None of the patients were found to be homozygous. In the control group 11 (9.2%) were heterozygous carriers of factor V Leiden. The difference between the patients and the controls was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: There was no clear association between RVO and factor V Leiden in this pool of patients. Factor V Leiden does not seem to play an important role in the development of RVO.