Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan diagnosed with eye infection

Islamabad: PTI founder Imran Khan has been diagnosed with a serious eye disease called CRVO. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been diagnosed with a serious eye disease called Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). This condition is usually found in older people and is associated with risk factors related to the heart and blood vessels such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. According to ophthalmologists, CRVO occurs when the main vein that carries blood back from the retina, called the central retinal vein, becomes blocked, which is usually caused by a blood clot. This blockage affects blood flow, causing swelling, fluid and blood leakage in the retina, and sometimes bleeding inside the eye. This can cause sudden or gradual vision loss. A senior ophthalmologist said that CRVO patients need close and continuous monitoring as some patients can develop serious complications within a few weeks or months. The disease is sometimes informally called “100-day glaucoma”, which actually refers to neovascular glaucoma. This is a complication that can develop after severe retinal vein occlusion, when abnormal new blood vessels form and the pressure in the eye increases. “It is not just an eye problem, it can also be a symptom of blood vessel diseases in the body, so close monitoring of the patient’s overall health is necessary,” says the ophthalmologist. In Imran Khan’s case, doctors said he underwent a detailed examination for his decreased vision in his right eye, which included retinal imaging and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The examination was conducted at Adiala Jail. Based on these findings, the doctors advised follow-up treatment at the hospital, after which he was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) late last week for the recommended course of treatment. At PIMS, Imran Khan was given an intraocular injection of an anti-VEGF drug, which is a standard treatment to reduce swelling of the retina (known as macular edema) and prevent further damage due to leakage from blood vessels. According to the ophthalmologist, such injections usually have to be given on a monthly basis, especially in the initial stages of treatment. He said: “It is more likely that he will need more injections every month, depending on how the retina responds to the treatment.