Blood circulating through the retina leaves the eye by draining into the retinal
vein. A retinal vein occlusion is a blockage that prevents normal blood flow out
of the eye. The blockage may be caused by a blood clot, by compression (squeezing)
from a nearby retinal artery, or by diseases that affect the blood vessels, such
as diabetes, glaucoma, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the
arteries). Retinal vein occlusions are more common once people reach middle age.
Click the links below to learn more about RVO:
Types of RVO
There are 2 main types of retinal vein occlusion (RVO):
Symptoms of RVO
What are the symptoms of retinal vein occlusion?
Sudden blurring or vision loss in all or part of 1 eye are the most common symptoms
of retinal vein occlusion. For some patients, the vision loss may happen gradually
over a period of days or weeks instead of suddenly. The amount of blurring or vision
loss depends on how much damage to the retina has occurred.
Effects of RVO
The effects of a branch retinal vein occlusion are often limited to the part of
the retina where the branch is located, because the other branches and the central
retinal vein still work to keep blood flowing in the rest of the retina. The effects
of a central retinal vein occlusion are more widespread throughout the retina.
In both types, the blockage of blood flow can cause retinal bleeding, damage nearby
capillaries (small blood vessels), and deprive the retina of oxygen. When retinal
capillaries are damaged, it can lead to swelling of the retina (known as edema).
If the edema affects the central part of the retina, called the macula, it can reduce
your central vision. In addition, low oxygen levels may trigger the formation of
fragile new blood vessels that can also cause vision problems.
Untreated retinal vein occlusion can take months to heal and lead to permanent vision
impairment in the affected eye.
OZURDEX® is an FDA-approved drug
treatment to reduce macular edema following branch
or central retinal vein occlusion.
Click the button below to learn about OZURDEX® as a treatment
option for RVO: