Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion

A branch retinal artery occlusion occurs when one of the branches of the central retinal artery is blocked.  Most patients with a branch retinal artery occlusion lose side vision, usually above or below central vision.  They can usually see pretty well straight ahead.  Whlie looking at the words on this page, if you had a branch retinal artery occlusion, you might not see the top of the computer screen (or the bottom).  (See images to the right)

 

Most retinal artery occlusions are cause by an embolis which forms in the heart or the carotid artery.  The embolis travels to the eye and blocks either the central retinal artery or the branch retinal artery.  Retinal artery occlusions are rarely caused by inflammation closing a retinal vessel.  Diseases like giant cell arteritis in the elderly or toxoplasmosis and behcets disease in the young can rarely occlude a retinal artery.

 

There is no effective treatment of central retinal artery occlusion.  Some physicians will try lowering the intraocular pressure by removing a small amount of fluid from the eye, prescribing pressure lowering eye drops or even having the patients rebreath into a paper bag.  Since branch retinal artery occlusions usually do not adversely affect central vision, and since there is no proven treatment for them, most patients with central retinal artery occlusion are not offered experimental therapy.