Coagulation and platelet activation after retinal vein occlusion

The role played by coagulation and platelet activation in the pathogenesis of retinal vein occlusions (RVO) has been evaluated by measuring beta-thromboglobulin (B-TG), circulating platelet aggregates (CPA), thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and fibrinopeptide A (FPA) in 25 patients less than 40 years old, investigated after the acute phase of RVO. FPA and B-TG were significantly higher than in healthy subjects; CPA and TxB2 were not different. These abnormalities, found in patients free from apparent generalized vascular disease, suggest that a thrombophilic state characterized by coagulation and platelet activation is present in a high proportion of young patients with RVO.