Retinal vein occlusion in the general population after COVID-19 vaccination and infection.

Introduction: Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is mostly a consequence of vascular risk factors (VRF). COVID-19 vaccines have been related to vascular and thrombotic events (VTE).

Objective: To assess the RVO incidence in the general population in our health area and the possible relation with COVID-19 infection and vaccination.

Methods: Demographic features, classic VRF, thrombophilia data, COVID-19 status, and Framingham risk score were collected prospectively.

Results: 472 consecutive patients studied over 13 years with RVO were included (Valdecilla Cohort). Classic VRFs were present in 90%, antiphospholipid syndrome in 12.3%, and genetic thrombophilia in 13.5%. Ninety-one percent of RVO patients were vaccinated and 6.8% suffered COVID-19 infection. In the cohort, no patient had a new RVO after vaccination or infection. In the general population, 20 subjects had RVO after receiving the vaccine (0.006%). Overall, 8 cases occurred in the first-month post-vaccination and 12 after 30 days. In the early and late groups, there are 3 and 4 patients respectively, with a low-intermediate risk Framingham score. Twenty-nine patients in the cohort suffered SARS-CoV-2 infection, twenty-seven of them had RVO before infection. Two patients with low-risk Framingham scores had RVO after infection, one of them early (<1 month).

Conclusions: Vaccination and COVID-19 might be involved in the development of RVO in some cases, mainly in patients without VRF, thrombophilia, or chronic inflammatory conditions and with a lower Framingham score, especially in the first month after vaccination or infection.