We reviewed the records of 160 patients who had central retinal vein occlusion between 1980 and 1985. Of 168 eyes, 107 (64%) were classified as nonischemic types and 61 (36%) were classified as ischemic types. Of 107 nonischemic eyes, ten (9%) converted to the ischemic variant. Of 107 nonischemic eyes, 33 (31%) lost three or more lines of visual acuity irrespective of initial visual acuity. A final visual acuity less than or equal to 20/200 was recorded in 57 of 61 (93%) of ischemic eyes and 53 of 107 (50%) of nonischemic eyes.