There is no cure for retinal vein occlusion. The disease is analogous to a stroke in the brain where neural tissue is deprived of blood. In some situations laser treatments are beneficial. Vision may occasionally improve on its own, but rarely returns to normal. Your retinal specialist can determine whether laser surgery is appropriate for you.
Symptoms can occur at any age, but typically start in the teens or twenties.
The rate of disease progression is variable. It can be inherited as an autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive or X-linked recessive trait, or may occur as isolated simplex cases. RP represents many different genetic mutations that share common phenotypic features. Usually, only the eyes are affected, but other diseases may be associated. The disease affects roughly 1 in 4000 Americans.