The American Stroke Association has issued a new scientific statement, pointing out the importance of stroke that occur in the eye, and the fact that they may be a warning of future brain strokes. Important points from the document are the following:
- Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a form of stroke that occurs when blood flow is blocked to the main artery of the eye, usually resulting in vision loss in the affected eye.
- Eye strokes are a warning of future brain strokes and require immediate medical treatment to lessen damage and possibly prevent future events.
- Since eye strokes are less common, they are often not diagnosed quickly, thus not referred for emergent care; more research is needed to identify causes and improve treatment for this under-recognized form of stroke.
News on this topic from the American Stroke Association may be found here: