RETINAL CENTRAL VENOUS OBSTRUCTION (CRVO)
BLOCKED CENTRAL VEINS OF THE RETINA, ALSO KNOWN AS CRVO, ARE PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY CLOSED IN THE MAIN VEINS THAT DRAIN BLOOD FROM THE RETINA. THIS CAN LEAD TO BLURRED VISION AND OTHER EYE PROBLEMS.
Reason.
MOST CRVO PATIENTS DEVELOP IT WITH ONE EYE. MOREOVER, ALTHOUGH DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION ARE RISK FACTORS FOR CRVO, THE EXACT CAUSE IS STILL UNKNOWN. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT CRVO IS CAUSED BY A DECREASE IN BLOOD FLOW FROM THE COAGULATION OR THE CENTRAL VEIN OF THE RETINA, WHICH LEADS TO THE RETINA.
THE SIMULTANEOUS PRESENCE OF CRVO IN BOTH EYES MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH SYSTEMIC DISEASES, IN WHICH CASE THE TREND OF ABNORMAL BLOOD CLOTTING IS MORE COMMON TO DETECT THE SO-CALLED "HIGH COAGULATION STATE".
Diagnostic tests.
CRVO IS USUALLY A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS, BASED ON MEDICAL SYMPTOMS AND PATIENT-REPORTED SYMPTOMS. WHEN A RETINAL SPECIALIST LOOKS AT THE EYE, A TYPICAL RETINAL HAEMORRHAGE (BLEEDING) OCCURS AND A DIAGNOSIS IS MADE (FIGURE 1). COMMON CASES OF CRVO INCLUDE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY (RETINAL DISEASE) AND RETINOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH LOW BLOOD COUNTS, SUCH AS ANEMIA AND PLATELET REDUCTION (PLATELET DEFICIENCY).
Treatment with prognosis.
- CRVO HAS A BETTER PROGNOSIS AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE ELDERLY PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT TREATED IMPROVED, ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAX AND AGING AND THE SAME, ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WORSE.
- AN INCREASE IN VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR (VEGF) IN PATIENTS WITH CRVO, WHICH CAN LEAD TO MACULAR EDEMA AND NEW BLOOD VESSELS THAT ARE PRONE TO BLEEDING.
- The most common treatment is to regularly inject anti-VEGF drugs into the eye to reduce the growth and swelling of new blood vessels. Anti-VEGF drugs include Bevastin ®, Lucentis ® and Eylea ®.
- Long-acting steroids treat stubborn macular edema.
