Vitreous Detachment

Aging gel collapse with floaters and flashes

Overview

Posterior vitreous detachment, PVD, is the separation of the vitreous gel from the retina at the back of the eye. With age the vitreous gradually liquefies and collapses, and eventually its outer surface peels away from the retina, an event that occurs in most people by later adulthood and earlier in people with myopia or after eye surgery. It commonly causes a sudden onset of floaters, sometimes including a ring shaped floater called a Weiss ring, along with brief flashes of light in the peripheral vision caused by traction on the retina. In most cases PVD is a harmless part of aging, and the floaters gradually become less noticeable as the brain adapts. However, where the vitreous is firmly attached it can tear the retina as it separates, and a minority of acute symptomatic PVDs are accompanied by retinal tears, which can lead to retinal detachment. For this reason new PVD symptoms are typically evaluated with a dilated retinal examination.