Bilateral central retinal vein occlusions in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Clinicopathologic correlation
S. M. Friedman and C. E. Margo
Department of Ophthalmology, University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Tampa, USA.
Four patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and central
retinal vein occlusion have been previously described in the literature.
The pathologic findings in a fifth patient with this association are
reported. The histopathologic findings were similar to ischemic central
retinal vein occlusion in persons without HIV infections. There was no
evidence of HIV in vascular endothelial cells using electron microscopy and
in situ hybridization techniques. The failure to identify any structural or
direct infectious cause for central retina vein occlusion in this setting
suggests that other hemorheologic factors related to HIV infection are
probably responsible for the predisposition to vascular thrombosis.
