Which of the following is NOT an adverse effect associated with estrogen oral contraceptives?

• A. PTC
• B. Vitritis
• C. CRVO
• D. DVT

Answer: (B)

Estrogen-containing oral contraceptives can increase the risk of blood-clotting and related vascular problems. Estrogen boosts hepatic production of several coagulation factors and can tilt the body toward a hypercoagulable state, which explains the higher risk of deep vein thrombosis and retinal vascular issues such as central retinal vein occlusion, and it’s also been associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri) in susceptible individuals. Vitritis, an inflammatory condition of the vitreous in the eye, is not a known or typical adverse effect of estrogen OCPs. So, vitritis would not be expected as a drug-related adverse effect in this context. If a patient on estrogen OCPs develops headaches with vision changes, consider intracranial hypertension; if there’s sudden vision loss with signs of vascular occlusion, evaluate for retinal vascular events; DVT would present with leg symptoms, while vitritis would present with inflammatory eye findings rather than a systemic coagulopathy.