No link between central retinal artery occlusion and neovascular glaucoma

This prospective cohort study included 249 patients (289 eyes) with untreated central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) and 190 patients (210 eyes) with untreated branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO). Neovascular glaucoma developed in 2.5 percent of eyes with nonarteritic CRAO, suggesting no cause-and-effect relationship exists between CRAO and neovascular glaucoma.

They also found that in both nonarteritic CRAO and BRAO, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and smoking was significantly higher compared with the matched U.S. population. Embolism was the most common cause of CRAO and BRAO, with carotid artery plaque usually the source of embolism (71 percent in CRAO and 66 percent in BRAO). The aortic and/or mitral valve was the least common source of embolism. They conclude that the presence of plaques in the carotid artery is generally of much greater importance than the degree of stenosis in the artery.