Retinal vascular disease – part I

Knowledge of retinal vascular disease is critical for an optometrist. These disorders are often caused by relatively common systemic conditions, which may be detected by routine optometric examination, but also indicate conditions which may represent a threat to the patient’s life. They may also be of major impact to our patients’ lifestyles. For example, retinal vascular occlusions account for 2% of severe sight impairment and 1.7% of sight impairment registrations.¹ This article will look at some of the most commonly encountered and important vascular pathologies in primary practice (with the exception of diabetic retinopathy covered here). For each it will cover the prevalence, aetiology, signs, symptoms, assessment and management.