Central retinal vein occlusion

A central venous thrombosis is a closure of the central blutableitenden vessel in the eye ( vena centralis retinae ). Result is primarily a painless deterioration has poor eyesight.

Complaints and findings

The patient noticed a painless visual loss in most cases, or blurred vision ( " as by a curtain "). The ophthalmologist provides mirroring of the fundus ( fundoscopy ) fixed striated hemorrhages in the retina, cotton- wool spots, or at least a swelling of the optic nerve outlet ( papilledema ).

Causes and consequences

The cause is not sufficiently clarified. Increases in hematocrit, such as occur after altitude training, and general risk factors of thrombosis are to play a role. As a complication, it can lead to a permanent loss of visual acuity up to blindness of the eye. Further, an increase in intraocular pressure ( neovascular glaucoma ) may occur. The pathophysiology is reminiscent of that of the sinus thrombosis in the cranial cavity.

Therapy

Laser surgery ( panretinal photocoagulation ) the blood supply can be reduced and thus an increase in intraocular pressure can be avoided. In macular edema, injection of drugs into the vitreous treatment of choice is. Furthermore, thrombolysis can be attempted ( dissolving the clot with biologically active substances ) or hemodilution ( thinning of the blood through infusions). In recent years, surgical procedures have been developed ( for example, " radial neurotomy " or " decompression" of the optic nerve ), whose benefit has not yet been sufficiently proved.

Swell

• Disease in ophthalmology