Medical Retina
- The medical retina is a broad terminology that covers many retinal conditions that can be treated with medications or lasers
- All the conditions that do not need surgery can otherwise be considered medical retinal issues.
- Many of the medical retinal diseases have underlying systemic causes. for example, diabetic retinopathy is a direct result of long-standing and/or uncontrolled diabetes.
- Venous occlusions usually occur in patients having high blood pressure.
- A combination of diabetes & hypertension has more severe effects in both these conditions.
- CSR is typically a stress-related disease seen in patients with Type A personalities.
- Therefore in all medical retinal conditions control of the primary/ underlying disease is as important if not more, compared to the treatment given by the retinal specialist.
- This a fact that is often overlooked/ under stressed and the most common cause of treatment failures.
- Diseases like CSR can actually be cured by simply reducing stress and may not require any treatment in a majority of cases.
Common medical retina problems:
- Diabetic retinopathy.
- Retinal artery / venous occlusions. ( CRAO/BRAO & CRVO/BRVO)
- Age related macular degeneration. (DRY/WET)
- Enteral serous retinopathy.
- Hereditary/genetic retinal disorders.
- Drug toxicities like hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), ethambutol & others.
Treatment options:
- Control of underlying systemic diseases.
- Oral and topical ( eye drops ) medications.
- Retinal LASERs.
- Intravitreal Injections.