Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

Causes

• Central retinal artery occlusion may be occurs when the central retinal artery becomes blocked. This blockage is caused by a tiny embolus in the blood stream. The occlusion decreases the oxygen supply to the area of the retina nourished by the affected artery, and it may cause permanent vision loss.
• Retinal artery may also be caused by arteriosclerotic changes, or inflammation.
• Main causes of RAO is embolism (the sudden obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot).
• If you have atherosclerotic disease, then it results in the progressive narrowing of the arteries over time.

Symptoms

• Monocular
• Painless
• Sudden and complete or partial loss of vision

Signs

• Pale fundus (compared with the other eye) with a cherry red spot in the center of the macula
• Afferent pupillary defect to some degree is almost always present
• Retinal arterioles may have a "boxcar" appearance, that is, segmentation of the blood column in the arterioles.

Treatment

• For the central retinal artery occlusion treatment, then use the intravenous acetazolamide and globe massage to lower the intraocular pressure and hopefully re-establish the arterial flow.
• Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is an emergency. If treatment begins within an hour, then patient has the highest possibility of regaining vision in the affected eye.
• You can also used the drug therapy for the treatment of CRAO, In which therapy includes the use of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors to reduce the internal eye pressure and enhance movement of the occlusion.
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may also be beneficial if started within 90 minutes of the onset of symptoms.