Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

OVERALL CONCLUSIONS ON MANAGEMENT OF CRVO

It is well-known that “a disease which has no treatment has many treatments” – each advocated enthusiastically for a while and then found to be not only no better than the natural history of the disease but also inadequate or even harmful. Most important fact is that a treatment which does not have a sound science to backup does not work in the long run, howsoever aggressively it may be advocated. CRVO has become a graveyard of such therapies. It is unfortunate when such claims give desperate patients false hope, cost them so much, not only in money but also in trouble, unnecessary pain and disappointment, and sometimes do them more harm than good. In this and my other recent review⁶, I am aware, I have challenged some of the conventional wisdom in the management of CRVO. That is never popular. To advocate “watchful waiting” rather than action is even more unpopular. I can only hope that science, logic and common sense will prevail in the end