A retinal tear occurs when the vitreous, the clear gel-like substance that fills the back cavity of the eye, pulls abnormally on the retina (abnormal vitreo-retinal adhesion), causing the retina to subsequently tear. Retinal tears are typically painless, the most common symptoms presented by a patient with a retinal tear include, sudden short flashing lights in the affected eye, blurred vision, a "curtain-like" shadowing in peripheral vision, and a sudden development of floaters. Risk factors related to retinal tears include trauma, previous eye surgery, a high degree of myopia, aging, family history of retinal tears or detachment, diabetes which is not under control and thinning of the retina. Most retinal tears develop as a result of Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD), this is when the vitreous is unable to fill the vitreous cavity of the eye and subsequently separates from the retina, after 1 - 3 months, the volume of the vitreous will decrease further, causing the sides of the vitreous to also pull away from the retina, causing a complete PVD.
If a retinal tear is not treated immediately, it may progress to retinal detachment as the retina may pull away completely from the back of the eye as a result of vitreo-retinal adhesion, this is why it is important to identify and treat retinal tears immediately to prevent loss of vision. The risk of the retinal tear developing into a retinal detachment depends on the size and location of the retinal tear, some retinal tears may be considered "low-risk". A retinal tear can be diagnosed using various eye health examinations, these include visual field testing, intraocular pressure (IOP), pupil response and visual acuity (VA) examinations. An optometrist may also use the aid of an ophthalmoscope to observe the back of the eye in order to identify the presence of a retinal tear. An imaging technique known as Optical Coherence Tomography or OCT may also be performed to acquire a cross-sectional viewing of the retina.
Often when the retinal tear is identified, treatment is required to prevent the retinal tear from forming into a retinal detachment. Laser treatment is often performed to repair the retinal year. Laser treatment repairs the retinal tear by sealing the edges of the tear and therefore preventing liquid vitreous from passing through the retinal tear and gathering underneath the retina as accumulation of fluid under the retina can lead to retinal detachment. After one week the laser spots form scar tissue around the retinal tear.
Below is an example of a horseshoe retinal tear as seen with the aid of fundus photography.
Add comment
Comments