Research progress on intra-arterial thrombolysis for the treatment of central retinal artery occlusion

Abstract

Central retinal artery occlusion(CRAO), also known as eye stroke, always results in acute and painless visual loss. At present, conservative treatments, such as eye massage, lowering intraocular pressure and vasodilators have little effect on reducing visual loss. Intra-arterial thrombolysis(IAT)has significantly improved prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke, thus IAT has been gradually applied in the treatment of CRAO. IAT injects fibrinolytic drugs directly into the ophthalmic artery by a microcatheter, and dissolves the emboli that block the central retinal artery to restore the blood flow of the retina. Theoretically, IAT may be effective for CRAO as what has been found for stroke, but existing clinical studies exhibited inconsistent results. This paper summarizes the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of IAT treatment in CRAO. It will also analyze related factors that affect the prognosis, putting forward potential development directions and providing insights for the further clinical application of IAT.

Keywords

• central retinal artery occlusion
• intra-arterial thrombolysis
• stroke
• neuroprotection