Central retinal vein occlusion secondary to severe iron-deficiency anaemia resulting from a plant-based diet and menorrhagia: a case presentation

BMC Ophthalmol. 2020 Mar 19;20(1):112. doi: 10.1186/s12886-020-01372-6.

Abstract

In this case presentation, we present a young vegan patient who developed a CRVO secondary to severe iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) attributable to menstrual losses and limited iron intake. CRVO is a rare complication of IDA.With rising calls for sustainable diets and rising evidence for a plant-based diet, there has been a rise in popularity of such diet forms. While there are ocular benefits from this diet trend, the potential for nutritional deficiencies including iron needs to be monitored especially in susceptible individuals. Iron is essential for retina metabolism and function; however, excess iron contributes to disease states in the eye. Therefore, supplementation needs to be judicious.

Keywords: Anaemia; Anti-VEGF; Central retina vein occlusion; Iron deficiency; Vegan; Vegetarian.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / complications*
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / diagnosis
  • Diet, Vegetarian / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Menorrhagia / complications*
  • Menorrhagia / diagnosis
  • Nutritional Status*
  • Retina / pathology*
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion / diagnosis
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion / etiology*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods*
  • Young Adult