What is Hypertensive retinopathy
Hypertensive Retinopathy, also known as malignant or accelerated retinopathy, is the set of changes that occur in the retina, in relation to hypertension.
These changes can be seen in the fundus examination by an instrument called an ophthalmoscope, which allows visualizing the retina and its vessels through the pupil.
These injuries occur primarily as a result of hypertension, but it seems that other factors, such as arteriosclerosis or older, may influence its development. The importance of fundus examination in hypertensive patients, reside primarily in the association between the intensity of the behavioral changes of the retina and the development of hypertension.
This allows us to estimate the severity of the changes occurring in other organs as a result of hypertension and a prognosis of the disease. Most people with this type of problem remain without symptoms for a long time and are usually diagnosed by the funduscopic examinations that are conducted as part of the control of hypertension.
In patients with longstanding hypertension or severe, may appear blurred or decreased visual acuity and in some cases there may be a significant loss of vision, especially in those cases associated with other diseases such as diabetes or arteriosclerosis.
This type of retinopathy occurs mostly in patients with hypertension associated with diseases such as eclampsia or eclampsia, pheochromocytoma, etc.. In these cases the vision may be affected more important.