Homocysteine in Ocular Arterial and Venous Occlusive Disease

Objectives: To evaluate homocysteine and methylentetrahydrofolat reductase (MTHFR 677 C → T) mutations as risk factors in ocular arterial and venous occlusive disease. Materials and methods: Over a period of 3.5 years (1/1999–8/2002) 410 patients with ocular occlusive disease presented to our tertiary care center. Of these, 362 patients (195 male, 167 female) were screened for hyperhomocysteinemia and MTHFR 677 C → T mutation. Results: Among these 362 patients, venous occlusions (45%) were less frequent than arterial occlusions (55%). Age between these subgroups did not differ significantly (p = 0,109). The following subgroups were analyzed: central retinal vein occlusion (n: 93), retinal branch vein occlusion (n: 70), central retinal artery occlusion (n: 41), retinal arterial branch occlusion (n: 49), anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (n: 68), posterior ischemic optic neuropathy (PION, n: 11) and amaurosis fugax (n: 30). A moderate hyperhomocysteinemia (≥12 μ mol/l) and a higher percentage of heterocygo...