Retinal Vein Thrombosis as the Presenting Symptom of Essential Thrombocythemia

Visual loss resulting from retinal vascular disorders can be the presenting sign of serious systemic disease. Associations between retinal vein thrombosis and other systemic disorders have been well documented, but a comprehensive literature search failed to reveal any report of essential thrombocythemia as a cause of central retinal vein thrombosis. We describe the first young female patient with symptomatic visual loss due to central retinal vein thrombosis as her presenting symptom of essential thrombocythemia.