Edina
Minnesota Center
7760 France Ave. South
Suite 310
Minneapolis, MN 55435
Phone (952) 929-1131

St. Paul
Central Medical Building
393 N. Dunlap Street
Suite 231
St. Paul, MN 55104
Phone (651) 644-8993

Plymouth
WestHealth Office Bldg.
2855 Campus Drive
Suite 510
Plymouth, MN 55441
Phone (763) 550-1002

St. Cloud
Midsota Center
3701 12th Street
Suite 102
St. Cloud, MN 56303
Phone (320) 654-8353

Duluth
North Shore Bank
4815 West Arrowhead Rd.
Suite 210
Hermantown, MN 55811
Phone (218) 625-5020

Oakdale
Tessar Professional Bldg
1099 Helmo Ave. North
Suite 220
Oakdale, MN 55128
Phone (651) 361-8100

Minneapolis
710 E 24th Street
Suite 103
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Phone (612) 746-1515
Fax (612) 746-5534

TOLL FREE:
1-800-635-1797

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The retina is the thin layer of nerve tissue in the back of the eye that functions like the film in a camera. It is where the picture is made inside the eye. It requires a large amount of circulation of blood to make the pictures. The blood is brought into the retina through an artery and drains from the retina by a single vein called the central  retinal vein in the back of the eye. When this vein becomes blocked, the circulation to the eye slows. This is called a central retinal vein occlusion. The vein can be partially blocked and the circulation mildly affected or more completely blocked with severe damage to the circulation.

Normal

CRVO

When the vein becomes blocked, the blood cannot exit from the back of the eye, and so pressure in the circulation results in swelling in the retina or bleeding into the retinal tissue. If the vein is more completely blocked, the circulation slows down, and the eye becomes starved for oxygen and nutrients. The retina can begin to die. In some patients with severe blockage, abnormal vessels will start to grow. These abnormal vessels, instead of helping the situation, grow in the wrong places and cause further damage. One of the areas where abnormal vessels can grow is in the part of the eye that controls the intraocular pressure. A severe form of glaucoma can result. This type of glaucoma, called neovascular glaucoma, can result in severe pain and complete blindness of the eye.

The outlook for a central retinal vein occlusion can be best predicted by the vision. If the vision is only mildly affected, usually the central vein occlusion will remain mild and sometimes improve without treatment. If the vision is severely affected, often there is permanent visual damage, and the risk of the painful form of glaucoma is higher.

The only proven treatment for a central vein occlusion is laser treatment if abnormal vessels start to develop. The laser treatment can be successful in preventing the severe form of glaucoma and preventing abnormal vessel growth, but does not improve the vision.

Because of the grim visual prognosis in severe central retinal vein occlusions, other treatments are being tried. One treatment is a surgery. During surgery, the vitreous gel is partially removed, and then a small incision is made adjacent to the central retinal vein in the back of the eye. This incision may relieve pressure on the vein and improve the circulation. The surgery has not been proven by a large clinical trial, but some patients with severe visual loss have recovered vision. Patients who are younger, have recent visual loss and have swelling in the area around the vein may be better candidates for the surgery.

Another form of treatment that is being tried is the injection of an anti-inflammatory steroid medication inside the eye. This medication can help relieve swelling in the retina and appears in some patients to improve the vision. It has not been proven by a large clinical trial, but such a trial is currently being instituted.

Whether or not treatment is instituted, most patients with central vein occlusion are followed periodically for a number of months to assess the risk of abnormal vessel development and the possible need for laser treatment. Risk factors for central vein occlusion include a history of glaucoma, a history of hypertension, smoking, history of atherosclerosis, or problems with blood viscosity or blood clotting.

 


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