The Association Between Fundus Changes and Visual Prognosis in Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Vascular Diseases
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a critical condition affecting vision.
• Understanding fundus changes is vital for predicting visual outcomes in CRAO patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific fundus alterations and the visual prognosis in patients diagnosed with CRAO.
• To identify key fundus findings that can predict visual outcomes in CRAO.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 222 CRAO cases from Hebei Eye Hospital (2013-2016).
• Fundus photographs evaluated for retinal ischemic edema and cilioretinal arteries.
• Logistic regression used to determine associations between fundus findings and visual prognosis.

Main Results:

• Common fundus changes included retinal ischemic edema (95.0%) and cherry-red spot (89.6%).
• Significant associations were found between edema grade/pattern, cherry-red spot characteristics, and symptom onset time.
• Predictive factors for visual prognosis identified: initial visual acuity, retinal ischemic grade, optic disc margin clarity, cherry-red spot size, and cilioretinal artery presence.

Conclusions:

• Fundus changes in acute CRAO are significantly correlated with visual prognosis.
• Specific fundus features serve as valuable predictive markers for visual outcomes in CRAO.