CRAO

2. Central Retinal Artery
Occlusion
PRESENTED to
student of OD
5th semester.
Pef university
college

3.  Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a
disease of the eye where the flow of blood
through the central retinal artery is blocked.
There are several different causes of this
occlusion, the most common is carotid artery
atherosclerosis.

4.  The ophthalmic artery branches off into
the central retinal artery which travels with
the optic nerve until it enters the eye. This
central retinal artery provides nutrients to
the retina of the eye, more specifically the
inner retina and the surface of the optic nerve

5.  Central retinal artery occlusions cause
sudden, acute, and painless loss of vision in
one eye. Fundoscopic exam will show a red
lesion, called a "cherry red spot," with
surrounding pale retina (the pale color is
caused by ischemia of the retina).

6.  Risk factors for CRAO include the following:
being between 60 and 65 years of age, being
over the age of 40, male gender,
hypertension, caucasian, smoking and diabet
es mellitus.[2] Additional risk factors
include endocarditis, atrial
myxoma,inflammatory diseases of the blood
vessels, and predisposition to forming blood
clots

7.  The most common cause for CRAO is carotid
artery atherosclerosis. In patients of 70 years
of age and older, giant cell arteritis is more
likely to be the cause than in younger
patients. Other causes can include
dissecting aneurysms and arterial spasms

8.  The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical
Society lists Central Retinal Artery Occlusion
(CRAO) as an approved indication for
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.[3] This a
treatment for CRAO that is covered by
medical insurance in North America. Other
treatments include ocular massage, anterior
chamber paracentesis, and inhalation therapy
of a mixture of 5% carbon dioxide and 95%
oxygen.

9.  The artery can re-canalize over time and the
edema can clear. However, optic atrophy
leads to permanent loss of vision. Irreversible
damage to neural tissue occurs after only 90
minutes. Two thirds of patients experience
20/400 vision while only one in six will
experience 20/40 vision or better.