Epidemiology and pathogenesis of retinal vein occlusion

Epidemiology and pathogenesis of retinal vein occlusion L.K. Moshetova, K.I. Belskaya, S.P. Kazakov, K.I. Turkina Russian Medical Academy of Continuing Professional Education, Moscow, Russian Federation Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow, Russian Federation Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital, Moscow, Russian Federation Center for Specialized Types of Medical Care and Medical Technologies, Moscow, Russian Federation Retinal vein occlusion is a violation of blood circulation in the central vein of the retina or its branches. Retinal vein occlusion is one of the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment, due to the severity of damage to the retina and optic nerve and development of gross structural changes in the fundus. This review summarizes existent data of the world literature on the occurrence of retinal vein occlusion, risk factors and main links in the pathogenesis of retinal vascular occlusion. It identifies the role of endothelial dysfunction in the development of this severe vascular disease. This review provides information on the vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF-A, which is involved in the development of macular edema – one of the main causes of vision loss in patients after retinal vein occlusion. Key words: retinal vein occlusion, VEGF-A, endothelial dysfunction