Intravitreal injections effective for CRVO

Ophthalmologists now have a new treatment at their disposal to effectively treat central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Intravitreal triamcinolone injections (a steroid injection) improve or even reduce vision loss in CRVO patients. CRVO is caused when blood flow into the large vein in the eye's retina becomes blocked and then leaks. The leaking damages the retina and results in vision loss. Steroids have the ability to stop new blood vessels from leaking. Patients who received the intravitreal injections were five times more likely to experience a marked improvement in their vision over a period of one to two years. The steroid injections aren't without? risk of side effects which can include cataracts and glaucoma.* Elise Ervin Staff Writer