UPMC Eye Center

Retinal Vein Occlusion

Retinal vein occlusion is a blockage of a vein that drains blood from the retina, the part of the eye responsible for collecting and sending information about light to the brain. This can happen when arteries that pump blood to the retina become hardened as a result of high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The arteries press on the vein, causing the vein to burst. If the vein bursts, it can impair blood flow to and decrease the oxygen in the retina. If the oxygen is decreased, then new, abnormal blood vessels grow which can cause damage.

There are two types of retinal vein occlusion:

• branch retinal vein occlusion, in which a portion of the circulation is blocked
• central retinal vein occlusion, in which the retinal vein located at the optic nerve is blocked

Diagnosis
Your eye doctor will discuss your symptoms and give you a complete eye exam.   
 
Your eye doctor will conduct a number of tests in order understand what kind of occlusion you have and how severe it is. Common painless tests your doctor may use include: 

• gonioscopy, which shows if fluid is draining out of your eye properly
• fluorescein angiography, which determines the amount of damage to your eye
• visual fields, which test your peripheral vision
• optical coherence tomography, which examines the thickness of the retina

Treatment
In many cases, the only treatment that is necessary is observation from your eye doctor. For an uncomplicated vein occlusion, typical follow-up is a visit to the doctor every four weeks for six months. If the occlusion causes new blood vessels to grow, additional medical or laser treatment may be needed.

For more information, or to make an appointment with an eye doctor, please contact the UPMC Eye Center at 412-647-2200.

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