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Retinal vein occlusion - Symptom

Alternative Names

Central retinal vein occlusion; Branch retinal vein occlusion; CRVO; BRVO

Symptoms:

Sudden blurring or vision loss in all or part of one eye

Signs and tests:

Tests to evaluate for vein occlusion include:

Examination of the retina after dilating the pupil
Fluorescein angiography
Intraocular pressure
Pupil reflex response
Refraction
Retinal photography
Slit lamp examination
Testing of side vision (visual field examination)
Visual acuity

Other tests may include:

Blood tests for diabetes, high cholesterol, and triglyceride levels
Blood tests to look for a clotting or blood thickening (hyperviscosity) problem (in patients under age 40)

The health care provider should closely monitor any blockage for several months. Many harmful effects, such as glaucoma, take 3 or more months to develop after the occlusion.

Reviewed last on: 5/7/2010
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Franklin W. Lusby, MD, Ophthalmologist, Lusby Vision Institute, La Jolla, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Sanborn GE, Magargal LE. Venous occlusive disease of the eye. In: Tasman W, Jaeger EA, eds. Duane's Ophthalmology. 15th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins: 2009:chap 15.

Wu L, Arevalo JF, Roca JA, Maia M, Berrocal MH, Rodriguez FJ, et al. Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group (PACORES). Comparison of two doses of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for treatment of macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion: results from the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group at 6 months of follow-up. Retina. 2008;28:212-219.

Kreutzer TC, Alge CS, Wolf AH, Kook D, Burger J, Strauss R, et al. Intravitreal bevacizumab for the treatment of macular oedema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion. Br J Ophthalmol. 2008;92:351-355.

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