Retinopathy of retinal detachment after major vascular occlusions.

RETINAL detachment or the appearance of retinal cysts after the occlusion of large retinal vessels has rarely been described in the literature, although Duke-Elder (1940) mentioned cystic degeneration as invariably following obstruction of the central retinal vein. Norn (1961) described a case of a central retinal cyst which followed a thrombosis of the central retinal vein. Arques (1960) reported a case of bilateral occlusion of the central retinal artery in which a bilateral retinal detachment subsequently developed. Four cases are reported here in which a large branch or a central venous thrombosis, associated with marked disturbances of the local artery, gave rise to the retinopathy of detachment. A hole formed in each case, with subsequent detachment in three of them.