Retinal Vein OcclusionThe retina, the light sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye, is nourished by a fragile network of blood vessels including arteries and veins. When a vein becomes blocked or "pinched off", some of the blood flowing through the vein can hemorrhage out of the vein wall -- this is called a vein occlusion. A branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) happens when one of the smaller retinal veins is blocked. Branch retinal vein occlusion symptoms range from hardly noticeable to extensive loss of vision. A central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) happens when the large retinal vein, responsible for transporting blood out of the eye, becomes blocked. CRVO symptoms usually include massive loss of vision. Both BRVO and CRVO can have associated, secondary conditions such as: macular edema, retinal ischemia (lack of blood flow to the retina tissue) and neovascular glaucoma. Retinal vein occlusion should be monitored and treated by an ophthalmologist.
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