Cardiovascular disease in patients with retinal arterial occlusion.
103 patients with retinal-artery occlusion causing permanent visual-field defect were examined clinically and angiographically to assess the extent of cardiovascular disease. The 68 patients with branch-artery occlusion had a higher prevalence of previous transient episodes, ischaemic and valvular heart-disease, and more often had an operable lesion in the carotid artery than had the 35 patients with central-artery occlusion who were more often hypertensive, had fewer warning attacks, a greater prevalence of complete carotid occlusion, and fewer operable carotid lesions. The two types of retinal vascular occlusion show aetiological differences; branch occlusion is more often embolic and should be fully investigated for carotid and cardiac disease. These measures are less often of practical importance in patients with central-artery occlusion.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000150:complications; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications*; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000002:abnormalities; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012161:Retinal Artery; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000150:complications