ARE THERE MEDICAL CONDITIONS SPECIFICALLY UNDERLYING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RUBEOSIS IN CENTRAL RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION

Two hundred and thirty five patients with central retinal vein occlusi on (mean age 64.9 years, 95% CI (63.3, 66.5) years), comprising 221 wh ite Europeans, 10 Asians and 4 West Indians) were studied over a 7 yea r period of whom 13.2% (n = 31) developed rubeosis (mean age 70.1 year s, 95% CI (66.3, 73.9) years; all white Europeans). Comparisons were m ade with 31 of the original 235 CRVO patients who did not develop rube osis, and who were individually matched for age, sex and ethnic origin . The 31 patients developing rubeosis were significantly older (p = 0. 013) than the 204 patients not developing rubeosis (mean age 64.1 year s, 95% CI (62.3, 65.9) years). There was no significant difference bet ween the CRVO group with rubeosis and the uncomplicated matched CRVO g roup in the prevalence rates of hypertension (64.5% vs. 45.2%), hyperl ipidaemia (48.4% vs. 38.7%) or diabetes mellitus (9.7% vs. 12.9%). We conclude that neovascular glaucoma is more likely to occur in older su bjects with CRVO.