Normal Vision            Vision with Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment εis a disorder of the eye, in which the retina is detached from the underlying layer of tissue called choroid. Initially this detachment may be local, but without immediate treatment, the entire retina can be detached and lead to loss of vision and blindness. It is considered an emergency medical situation.

Types of detachment

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: it is caused by a tear in the retina, which allows fluid to pass under it and detach it from the choroid.
Exudative retinal detachment: it is caused by inflammation or vascular diseases that allow for fluid accumulation without a tear.
Tractional retinal detachment: Due to inflammation or neovascularization (e.g. diabetis), fibrous tissue can create traction on the retina.

Symptoms

Retinal detachment usually follows after a posterior vitreous detachment that created traction on the retina and presents symptoms such as photopsias (flashes), i.e. sparks at the temporal segment of the visual field, and floaters (black spots), i.e. moving haze of the vitreous, which might also have the form of a spider's web or a ring.

Even though most choroid detachments don't lead to retinal detachments, those that do cause the following symptoms: a shadow or curtain in the peripheral visual field that moves slowly towards the center, straight lines that start to seem crooked and central loss of vision.

Learn more about retinal detachment.