ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To investigate and identify hereditary spherocytosis as a possible risk factor for the development of a central retinal vein occlusion in a young, otherwise healthy, adult. METHOD: This study is a retrospective case description of a single female patient. RESULTS: A 31-year-old white woman with hereditary spherocytosis after splenectomy was found to have a central retinal vein occlusion. She had no atherosclerotic risk factors and a negative hypercoaguable workup. Her course was complicated by macular edema. She was treated with intravitreal ranibizumab injections with resultant improvement of her vision and resolution of her macular edema. CONCLUSION: Hereditary spherocytosis is an inherited deficiency in erythrocyte membrane proteins that should be considered in younger patients with central retinal vein occlusions because of the disease's impact on hematologic factors. Furthermore, intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor injections may improve macular edema in this population.
