Retinal vein occlusion and obstructive sleep apnea: a series of 114 patients

Purpose Evaluate the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ) in patients with retinal vein occlusion ( RVO ). Methods A prospective and controlled study including 114 patients from January to September 2016, who were divided into two groups: 69 patients with RVO ( RVO +) and 45 controls ( RVO −), matched for age, sex and disease. All the patients completed a simple questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and underwent a RUS leeping ® (portable monitoring device and then continuously monitored the subject's respiration to detect respiratory events). In addition, all patients with RVO were administered OSA screening with a polysomnography ( PSG ) during an overnight stay in the hospital, which was analysed by a single sleep apnea specialist. Results Sleep apnea was suspected in 73.9% in the RVO group and 63% in the control group based on the simple questionnaire; 22% in the RVO group and 4.3% in the control group according to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale; 82.6% in the RVO group and 55.6% in the control group (p = 0.005) according to RUS leeping ® . Multivariate logistic regression analysis (based on RU sleeping ® ) confirmed that RVO was associated with OSA (adjusted odds ratio, 5.65, [1.60–19.92], p = 0.007). All patients in the RVO group were confirmed by PSG , and finally, 91.5% were diagnosed with moderate‐to‐severe OSA . Among the RVO + patients, the mean apnea–hypopnoea index ( AHI ) was 42.2 events per hour (7.7–96.5). OSA was moderate in 22% patients and severe in 69.5% patients. There was no significant relationship between RVO severity and the PSG data variables. Conclusion The systematic screening of OSA with the gold standard PSG found a high prevalence of OSA in patients with RVO . The OSA is probably a risk factor associated with RVO . Polysomnography remains the gold standard method; nevertheless, the RU sleeping ® RTS portable monitoring device can assess the presence and severity of sleep apnea with a low failure rate and a single use, prior to PSG , which is less available in clinical practice. Further studies with larger samples are needed to clarify the association.