[Retinal vein occlusion : Epidemiology, classification and clinical findings]

Since the introduction of intravitreal operative medication injections (IVOM), the therapy of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) has permanently changed. The growing acceptance of IVOM is undoubtedly due to the generally positive outcome after RVO. During the pharmaceutical trials required to obtain medication approval, extensive data were collected on the spontaneous course of the disease and the risk factors responsible for the disease. As RVO is a complication of systemic or local risk factors, these data are also useful for the therapy of the underlying risk factors. In this article the currently available data are presented and evaluated to provide the reader with key guidelines to diagnose and treat this complex syndrome.