Which symptom pattern is commonly associated with Central Retinal Artery Occlusion?

• A. Painful, gradual vision loss
• B. Blurry vision with eye pain
• C. Severe, sudden, painless loss of vision
• D. Floaters with no vision loss

Answer: (C)

Central Retinal Artery Occlusion presents like a retinal stroke: the retinal blood supply is suddenly cut off, usually by an embolus or thrombus, causing abrupt ischemia. Because the loss of blood happens instantly, vision in the affected eye drops suddenly and is typically severe. The absence of pain is a key feature, helping distinguish it from conditions such as optic neuritis or acute glaucoma, which cause eye pain. Other problems, like retinal detachment or vitreous changes, tend to produce different symptoms such as flashes, floaters, or a curtain effect rather than a sudden, painless, severe loss of vision. So the pattern of severe, sudden, painless loss of vision is the hallmark of Central Retinal Artery Occlusion.