Retinal Vein Occlusion
Your retina is a thin, light-sensitive layer of nerve tissue at the back of your eye that plays a vital role in vision. Its blood supply comes from the underlying choroid as well as retinal capillaries. Occasionally, these blood vessels can get blocked causing a retinal vein occlusion.
Retinal vein occlusions often cause decreased blood flow to portions of the retina and damage to the capillary bed that supplies it. This can frequently lead to swelling called a “macular edema”. Macular edema is the most common cause of acute visual loss in patients with this condition. Fortunately, this can be treated with steroid injections and laser treatments that decrease the swelling. Most patients notice improvement after a series of injections have been administered.
Occasionally, severe lack of blood flow can lead to new blood vessel growth. These abnormal new blood vessels can leak fluid, bleed, or form scar tissue. This can also be treated with office lasers and injections.
Sometimes, if a retinal vein occlusion causes new blood vessel growth and bleeding into the middle of the eye, a vitreous hemorrhage can result. Scarring can then develop leading to a retinal detachment requiring immediate surgery to correct.
This condition is more common in patients with glaucoma, a history of high blood pressure, or any other blood vessel disease. Those with a history of smoking cigarettes are also at increased risk.
Macular Edema from Retinal Vein Occlusion
Angiogram of Retinal Vein Occlusion