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Curriculum · ENT, Ophthalmology, and Dermatology

Central retinal vein occlusion

What it is

Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is blockage to the central retinal vein with a thrombus, and it is one cause of acute visual loss. Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is the same process in a branch of the vein.

Causes and risk

Risk factors are HTN, DM, smoking, hyperlipidaemia and glaucoma. BRVO has the same risk factors.

How it presents

The loss of vision is sudden and painless, in one eye, and the patient is often hypertensive.