Potential future treatment strategies for retinal vein occlusion

Our understanding of the pathophysiology of retinal venous occlusive disease is limited and the number of proven therapies is even more so. As a result, there is a growing number of unproven treatment strategies. The majority of these unproven treatments attempt to reduce the macular edema, which is a consequence of the vein occlusion, but few attempt to improve the underlying retinal venous outflow, retinal perfusion and oxygenation. A more thorough knowledge of the natural history is needed to better determine any actual therapeutic benefit of these current treatments. A greater knowledge of the molecular and hemodynamic pathophysiology is also required to allow the development of future treatment strategies. In this article, pharmacological and surgical treatment strategies are reviewed, as well as selected ongoing clinical trials for retinal venous occlusions.