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Eyes RVO Introduction to RVO
Introduction to RVO
Introduction to RVO

Introduction to RVO

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a blockage in the blood vessels at the back of your eye in an area known as the retina, which in turn results in sight loss.1

Line diagram of the cross-section of an eye. There are vessels in the centre space of the eye that start as thicker lines labelled central veins and branch off into thinner lines labelled branch veins.

There are different blood vessels in the retina in which a blockage can occur. The blockage of different vessels leads to different levels of sight loss, so RVO is split into subtypes.

  • If the blockage is in the ‘branch veins’ of your eye, you will be diagnosed with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).1
  • If the blockage is in the central vein, you will lose more of your sight than with BRVO and will be diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).1

RVO affected 28 million people worldwide in 2015 and is often the reason behind drastically reduced vision in people over 60.1,2 However, as RVO is usually painless, many people will put the sight loss down to ‘just getting old’. With this in mind, it is likely that far more people are affected by RVO today.

If you notice any changes in your vision, consult a specialist immediately.

References

  1. NHS Foundation Trust. Retinal vein occlusion. Available at: https://www.yorkhospitals.nhs.uk/seecmsfile/?id=2333. Last accessed April 2025.
  2. Peige Song et al. Global epidemiology of retinal vein occlusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence, incidence, and risk factors. Journal of Global Health (2019). 12;9(1):010427.