Occlusion
of the central retinal artery clinically leads to a sudden, painless loss
of vision in the involved eye. Examination
of the ocular fundus reveals diffuse ischemia of the retina with a pale
whitening as well as swelling or edema of the retina with marked decreased
vascularity. The central
fovea shows a classic "cherry red spot" which is secondary to
ischemic white retina surrounding the normal choroidal blood flow to the
area of the fovea(#22025). Histopathologically,
the central retinal artery is occluded most commonly by an embolus within
the anterior optic nerve
(#22027).
The retina itself will show marked ischemia of the innermost layers
during the early stages of occlusion.
Late stages show atrophy of the innermost layers of the retina with
gliosis(#22028). A similar
occlusion of one of the branch retinal arteries usually secondary to an
embolic phenomenon will lead to a secto-shaped are of retinal ischemia and
pallor(#22220).
(#22877) is
another view of central arteyr occlusion.
