Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO)

A retinal vein occlusion occurs when one of the veins of the retina becomes blocked and cannot drain blood from the retina normally. This blockage leads to a backup of blood and fluid into the retina and can be seen in the retina as hemorrhages. The amount of swelling in the retina varies and depends on the degree of blockage of the retinal vein. If the blockage involves the central vein to the retina, located at the optic nerve, it is called a central retinal vein occlusion. In these cases, hemorrhages can be scattered throughout the retina, and often the central portion of the retina, the macula, can become swollen. In severe cases of CRVO, the blocked vein causes painful pressure in the eye. Retinal vein occlusions commonly occur with glaucoma, diabetes, age-related vascular disease, high blood pressure, and blood disorders.

The first step of treatment is finding what is causing the vein blockage. There is no cure for CRVOs, though recent innovations have led to a significant improvement in the visual outcomes. Injections of medication into eyes suffering from a CRVO have become the treatment of choice in managing patients with swelling in their retina from CRVO. These injections have shown a significant improvement in vision in many cases. Laser surgery has also been shown to be effective in preventing further bleeding into the vitreous or for treating some of the complications of CRVO, such as elevated intraocular pressure.