Baseline clinical features predict visual outcome in young patients with central retinal vein occlusion

Purpose To evaluate prognostic factors in young patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Methods Retrospective case series. CRVO patients aged ≤ 50 and follow-up ≥ 6 months were enrolled. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and last visit were documented. Severity of retinopathy was graded by comparing to standard photos. Prognostic factors associated with visual outcome at 6 months were evaluated by multiple linear regression models. Results A total of 73 eyes from 69 patients with mean age 37.6 ± 8.5 were enrolled. Forty-seven (68%) patients were male. The mean follow-up duration was 25.9 ± 23.0 months. LogMAR BCVA improved from 0.979 ± 0.785 at baseline to 0.594 ± 0.748 at the 6 months ( p < 0.001) and CRT improved from 475 ± 222 μm to 299 ± 104 μm ( p < 0.001). Forty-eight (66%) eyes required anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment. The mean number of injections was 2.25 ± 1.41 in the first 6 months and 75% of eyes received ≦ 3 injections during the clinical course. The baseline BCVA (coefficient 0.518, p < 0.001), grade of retinal hemorrhage (coefficient 0.230, p = 0.006), grade of retinal venous engorgement (coefficient 0.238, p = 0.011), grade of optic disc edema (coefficient − 0.226, p = 0.005), and diabetes mellitus (coefficient 0.264, p = 0.047) were the independent factors associated with visual outcome at 6 months. Conclusions Baseline clinical features are useful for the prediction of visual outcome at 6 months in young CRVO patients.