Treatment and PrognosisĬRVO has a better prognosis in young people. To help distinguish CRVO from conditions that may mimic it, and to assess closure of small blood vessels, or to search for or confirm growth of new abnormal vessels, fluorescein angiography (FA) imaging may be performed. Swelling of the center of the retina, called macular edema is common, and to detect this and measure the amount of swelling, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) image is often obtained (Figure 2). OCT of an acute CRVO with severe macular edema. When a retina specialist looks into the eye, there is a characteristic pattern of retinal hemorrhages (bleeding) and a diagnosis is made (Figure 1).Ĭommon conditions that can take on an appearance of CRVO include diabetic retinopathy (retina disease) and retinopathy related to low blood counts, such as anemia and thrombocytopenia (a deficiency of blood platelets).įigure 2. Diagnostic testingĬRVO is typically a clinical diagnosis-that is, one based on medical signs and patientreported symptoms. While some eye doctors coordinate such testing, most refer patients to their family doctors, internists, or hematologists (physicians specializing in diseases of the blood) for testing. Many eye doctors do not advise testing for a CRVO in one eye, but do recommend a visit with a family doctor to be sure there is no diabetes or high blood pressure.ĬRVO that occurs in both eyes at the same time can be related to systemic disease in these cases, a tendency toward abnormal blood clotting is definitely more common and medical testing to detect so-called “hypercoagulable states” is indicated. However, it is not certain how these health conditions are related to CRVO-and some of them, if diagnosed, have no agreed-to or necessary recommended treatment. Some eye doctors advise testing for them. And we have learned that a large number of conditions may increase the risk of blood clots. What we do know is that CRVO develops from a blood clot or reduced blood flow in the central retinal vein that drains the retina. And, although diabetes and high blood pressure are risk factors for CRVO, its specific cause is still unknown. Most patients with CRVO develop it in one eye. Patients with severe CRVO and secondary complications such as glaucoma (a disease characterized by increased pressure in the eye) often have pain, redness, irritation and other problems.Some patients have mild symptoms that wax and wane, called transient visual obscurations.Many patients with CRVO have symptoms such as blurry or distorted vision due to swelling of the center part of the retina, known as the macula.This can cause blurred vision and other problems with the eye. Central retinal vein occlusion, also known as CRVO, is a condition in which the main vein that drains blood from the retina closes off partially or completely.
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