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Posterior Segment

Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

Also known as: CRVO, central retinal vein occlusion, retinal haemorrhages all quadrants, venous tortuosity, disc oedema with haemorrhages

Filed as: Urgent

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

Overview

Obstruction of venous outflow at the central retinal vein, presenting with sudden or subacute painless blurring in one eye that ranges from mild to severe. Diffuse retinal haemorrhages, dilated tortuous retinal veins and disc swelling are the usual picture. Urgent retinal review assesses macular involvement and ischaemic complications, and the systemic vascular context warrants medical follow-up in its own right.

Recognition

Symptoms: what patients report

  • Sudden or subacute blurred vision in one eye.
  • Visual reduction can range from mild blur to severe loss.
  • Usually painless.

Signs: what the examination shows

  • Diffuse retinal haemorrhages.
  • Dilated tortuous retinal veins.
  • Disc oedema or optic disc swelling may be present.

What OptoGuide™ covers for central retinal vein 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.

Full bibliography

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