Posterior Segment
Central Retinal Artery Occlusion
Also known as: CRAO, central retinal artery occlusion, sudden painless monocular vision loss, cherry red spot, retinal whitening, acute retinal ischaemia
Filed as: Emergency
Source-cited from the record's own evidence list. Clinical content programme led by Dr Ankit Mathur, PhD, Grad Cert Ocu Thera, B.S. Optom. How the clinical content is governed
Clinical decision support only
Overview
Acute obstruction of the central retinal artery, presenting as sudden painless monocular vision loss that is often profound at onset. Retinal whitening with a cherry red spot and attenuated retinal arteries are characteristic, and a relative afferent pupillary defect may be present. This is acute retinal ischaemia and is handled as a stroke-equivalent: immediate emergency department or stroke-capable hospital referral, with giant cell arteritis considered in every patient over 50.
Recognition
Symptoms: what patients report
- Sudden painless monocular vision loss.
- Vision is often profound at onset.
- Transient monocular vision loss may precede complete occlusion.
Signs: what the examination shows
- Relative afferent pupillary defect may be present.
- Retinal whitening with a cherry red spot.
- Attenuated retinal arteries.
What OptoGuide™ covers for central retinal artery occlusion
- Pattern reasoning: what this combination of findings points to, and its differentiators
- Don't-miss risks and escalation triggers
- Management tiers with linked Australian therapeutics
- Referral urgency, specialty, and letter drafting
Sources
Standard texts: Kanski's Clinical Ophthalmology: A Systematic Approach, The Wills Eye Manual, Oxford Handbook of Ophthalmology, Oxford American Handbook of Ophthalmology, Signs in Ophthalmology: Causes & Differential Diagnosis.