At age 50, the impact of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) becomes more severe and is more likely to include cystoid macular edema (CME) and require intravitreal injections, according to a newly published retrospective study.

The research team from Duke University looked at the records of 36 CRVO patients younger than 50 years and 233 patients older than 50 years, all of whom presented between January 2009 and July 2016. The younger cohort had better visual acuity than the older one; the older group’s mean acuity measured 20/224 and the younger group’s was 20/80.

Additionally, the research shows once patients hit 50 they’re more likely to develop CME. Of the 50 plus crowd, 79% developed CME, while only 54% of those younger than 50 did. Naturally, the need for intravitreal injections also increased with age. The older patients required 6.5 ±8.8 injections at 37.6 months while the younger ones only required 3.8 ±5.8 at 34.2 months.  

The study “furthers our understanding of CRVO in younger patients,” explains the article.