Retina Artery Occlusion

A retinal artery occlusion occurs when there is a blockage of one of the arteries in the retina. This can occur in the main artery supplying blood to the retina (central retinal artery occlusion) or a branch artery which supplies blood to a portion of the retina. Symptoms of this condition are sudden, painless vision loss. This condition is most commonly caused by an embolus (clot) which lodges in the arteries. The embolus can be from plaques which have formed in the heart, the large blood vessles in the neck, or other vessels in the body. Patients with this condition need to see a cardiologist right away to detect the origin of the clot to prevent strokes or death.