They are vascular blockages in the form of Retinal Vein Occlusion or branch retinal vein occlusion that lead to vision changes and long-term sequelae.
Both retinal vein and branch occlusion are associated with occlusion of the retinal vein, but the location where the occlusion occurs differs.
What are the causes of Retinal Vein Occlusion?
Retinal vein occlusion occurs due to a clot blocking the vein.
Branch retinal vein occlusion develops as a result of pressure on the vein or blockage of the retinal arteries by a clot. Major risk factors are
- Hypertension
- Glaucoma
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease.
What are the Complaints in Patients?
The patient's symptoms vary depending on the root or branch occlusion of the blocked retinal vein.Due to sudden loss of vision, there may be islands of vision in the visual field, or there may be no complaints at all. If diagnosis and treatment are delayed, permanent vision loss, eye pressure, shrinkage and even tears in the retina may occur.
What Should be Done for Diagnosis?
By performing a fundus examination, the ophthalmologist can detect venous occlusion and its clinical findings. Additionally, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) can support clinical decision making. Fluorescein angiography is useful in determining the degree of obstruction present. OCT is useful in monitoring macular edema.
What are the General Treatment Approaches?
There is no treatment available to reverse retinal vein occlusions. However, some treatments are applied to prevent the occurrence of conditions that may occur later and reduce vision. For this purpose, various injections or laser treatments can be applied into the eye.