CASE REPORT article
Front. Med.
Sec. Ophthalmology
This article is part of the Research TopicOphthalmology meets Microfluidics: Advances in Lab-on-a-chip technologies for Ocular HealthcareView all 4 articles
Case Report: A Case of Combined Branch Retinal Vein and Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion
Provisionally accepted
- Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Significance: The combination of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) is extremely rare. At present, The pathogenic mechanism of the occurrence of combined BRVO and BRAO is still unclear. Prompt administration of macular edema (ME) secondary to combined BRVO and BRAO with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) medication and laser photocoagulation can achieve a satisfactory prognosis. Purpose: This report describes a rase case of using anti-VEGF agents and laser photocoagulation to treat ME secondary to combined BRVO and BRAO. Case Report: A 59-year-old man presented with a complaint of blurred vision in the left eye for 3 months. The patient had a history of diabetes and hypertension for 5 years. Upon examination, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/125 in the left eye, and intraocular pressure of both eyes was within reference limit. On slit-lamp examination, anterior segment of both eyes was unremarkable, except for lens opacity. According to fundus examinations, ME secondary to combined BRVO and BRAO in the left eye can be diagnosed. Central macular thickness (CMT) was 302 µm in the left eye. Then, the left eye received angiography-guided sectoral laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents. After 3 months of treatment, the BCVA of left eye increased to 20/40, the CMT decreased to 182μm, and the intraretinal fluid was absorbed. Since then, he never came to the clinic for further ophthalmic examination. Conclusion: Combined BRVO and BRAO is an unusual and extremely rare retinopathy. Intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs and laser photocoagulation for addressing ME secondary to combined BRVO and BRAO are effective treatments. In addition, systemic evaluation and close monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors should not be overlooked.
Keywords: anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), Branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO), Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), Laser photocoagulation, Macular edema (ME)
Received: 25 Dec 2025; Accepted: 16 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Wang, Zhang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hong Li
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