Retinal artery occlusion is a blockage in one of the small arteries that carry blood to the retina. The retina is a layer of tissue in the back of the eye that is able to sense light.
Central retinal artery occlusion; CRAO; Branch retinal artery occlusion; BRAO; Vision loss - retinal artery occlusion; Blurry vision - retinal artery occlusion
Retinal arteries may become blocked when a blood clot or fat deposits get stuck in the arteries. These blockages are more likely if there is hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) in the eye.
Clots may travel from other parts of the body and block an artery in the retina. The most common sources of clots are the heart and carotid artery in the neck.
Most blockages occur in people with conditions such as:
If a branch of the retinal artery is blocked, part of the retina will not receive enough blood and oxygen. If this happens, you may lose part of your vision.
Sudden blurring or loss of vision may occur in:
The retinal artery occlusion may last for only a few seconds or minutes, or it may be permanent.
A blood clot in the eye may be a warning sign of clots elsewhere. A clot in the brain may cause a stroke.
There is no proven treatment for vision loss that involves the whole eye, unless it is caused by another illness that can be treated.
Several treatments may be tried. To be helpful, these treatments must be given within 2 to 4 hours after symptoms begin. However, the benefit of these treatments has never been proven, and they are rarely used.
The health care provider should look for the cause of the blockage. Blockages may be signs of a life-threatening medical problem.
Ilka Kleffner practices in Muenster, Germany. Kleffner is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Retinal Artery Occlusion. She is also highly rated in 5 other conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Susac Syndrome, Retinal Artery Occlusion, Hearing Loss, and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD).
Nicolas Feltgen practices in Göttingen, Germany. Feltgen is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Retinal Artery Occlusion. He is also highly rated in 11 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Retinal Artery Occlusion, Retinal Vein Occlusion, Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis, Cataract Removal, and Corneal Transplant.
Se Woo practices in Songnam, Republic of Korea. Woo is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Retinal Artery Occlusion. They are also highly rated in 29 other conditions, according to our data. Their top areas of expertise are Retinal Artery Occlusion, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Retinal Detachment, and Cataract Removal.
People with blockages of the retinal artery may not get their vision back.
Complications may include:
Contact your provider if you have sudden blurring or vision loss.
Measures used to prevent other blood vessel (vascular) diseases, such as coronary artery disease, may decrease the risk for retinal artery occlusion. These include:
Sometimes, blood thinners may be used to prevent the artery from becoming blocked again. Aspirin or other anti-clotting drugs are used if the problem is in the carotid arteries. Warfarin or other more potent blood thinners are used if the problem is in the heart.
Summary: Comparison of high-resolution optical coherence tomography (High-Res-OCT) to conventional imaging modalities for the diagnosis of eye diseases
Summary: Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is an ophthalmic emergency which leads to devastating visual function defects and poor prognosis. Though traditional conservative treatments are widely used, none of them is proved to be effective. A number of meta-analyses and observational studies indicate intravenous thrombolysis to be beneficial in CRAO. Selective intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT) introd...
Published Date: February 17, 2022
Published By: Franklin W. Lusby, MD, Ophthalmologist, Lusby Vision Institute, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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