About the disease
Eye vessels occlusion is a condition, when blood vessels of an eye become blocked for some reason. As a result, blood circulation to the retina is decreased and a person experiences condition known as occlusion - when arteries become blocked and vision becomes blurred and not clear. In most cases eye vessels occlusion is painless and starts suddenly leading to vision loss, which can be partial or in some cases full. Blood vessels responsible for supplying an eye with oxygen are vital for its normal functioning. Most commonly, eye vessels occlusion develops in the retina, where blood is supplied through the retinal artery. Occlusion develops when light-sensitive oxygen-deprived cells of retina suffocate from the lack of oxygen. In such case, the normal blood circulation to the eye must be restored immediately to preserve the vision. If the blood flow is fully obstructed, it can take just several hours for a loss vision to develop, that`s why eye vessels occlusion is an emergency condition, which requires immediate medical help.
Eye vessels occlusion can be caused by development of thrombus in the retinal artery. In such case, a clotting may appear which can obstruct the blood flow. Thrombus can develop as a result of continuous intraocular high blood pressure. It can also develop as a result of atherosclerosis, which results in deposition of plaques in the blood. People with cardiovascular diseases need to check their eyesight regular to prevent development of clotting. Previous trauma can also contribute to development of eye vessels occlusion in future if the blood flow of the eye was affected. Eye vessels occlusion is a rare ophthalmologic disease, accounting for approximately 1 out of 10, 000 eye conditions.
Symptoms
- Sudden loss vision in severe cases
- Blurred vision, which can last for several weeks in mild cases
- Dizziness
- Nausea
Diagnosis
- During a general examination doctor will examine the eyes and also acuity of patient`s vision. He will also use special drops to dilate the eyes and determine if there are any areas of white spots, which can be an indicator that these are the areas where blood pressure is disrupted. An ophthalmoscope can also determine if there areas of whiteness, which can indicate eye vessels occlusion.
- Fluorescein angiography is a special imaging test which uses injected dye to examine the eye. This test can measure the blood flow of the eye and determine if it is damaged.
Treatment
- A doctor may apply special ocular massage on the eye to restore the blood flow if that is possible. A patient also needs to breathe carbogen, of which 95% is oxygen, so that the eye receives a proper amount of oxygen to the eye. If there is fluid in the eye, a doctor may need to remove it so that blood circulates better. Special clot dissolving drugs may also be injected into the eye if the cause of eye vessels occlusion was clotting, although such injection can be quite risky.
Photocoagulation is used if retinal artery is partially blocked. Then, the blocked part of the artery is sealed by photocoagulation and vision is restored. If the artery is blocked partially, the prognosis for an eye vessels occlusion is good with 80% of patients recovering their eyesight. If the retinal artery is fully blocked, the chances for recovery are poor but still some measures can be taken to restore the vision. The most important thing in such case is timely treatment.
Authors: Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko
