Central Retinal Vein Occlusion
By Bjarne Lühr Hansen PhD, MD and Philipp Skafte-Holm MD, Mentor Institute
In the case of a complete or partial occlusion of the big vein leading away from the eye, a venous thrombosis occurs in the eye.
Typically, the thrombosis is formed close to the optic nerve and usually only affects one eye. The risk of a venous thrombosis in the eye increases with age. Venous thromboses in the retina are more frequent than the arterial.
A thrombosis in the retinal vein leads to significantly reduced eyesight. Blood is accumulated in the retina and the blood vessels of the retina that can lead to swelling of the retina and optic nerve. The treatment can be injection of growth inhibiting medication into the eye followed by laser treatment of the retina.