Transient monocular blindness.

This paper is a review of the causes of intermittent monocular blindness. The nature of cholesterol and platelet retinal emboli is discussed. Their sources, the frequency with which they may cause transient or fixed blindness and the association between these emboli and pathology of the major cerebral vessels and other organs is discussed. Consideration is given to the equally important abnormalities of platelet behavior and to some of the physiology of retinal blood flow and non-embolic blindness. The current treatment of this symptom may be anticoagulation, surgical correction of a stenotic artery or both. The effect of treatment is unpredictable and in some situations the rationale is suspect. This review may provide a summary on which to base future studies of the effectiveness of various therapeutic agents.