It can be caused by an embolus or clot (eg, due to atherosclerosis or endocarditis), thrombosis, or giant cell arteritis. Severe vision loss is painless and affects part or all the visual field.

Treatment: There is no specific validated treatment, if there are treatments focused on vasodilation of the artery and fibrinolysis (destruction of the clot) but no treatment has proven to be superior. The most important thing is to identify the origin (cause) and start treatment to avoid recurrences.