A retinal detachment develops when the retina pulls away from its normal position. A curtain of visual loss that spreads across the field of vision. Vision loss can progress rapidly. Untreated, retinal detachment usually causes permanent blindness. In a small minority of persons with retinal breaks, liquid vitreous leaks beneath the retina, separating it from the eye-wall and causing a retinal detachment.
Macular pucker can also develop following a vitreous detachment.
Retinal detachment develops in approximately 1 in 10,000 people per year. Certain conditions increase the likelihood of retinal detachment, including acute symptomatic retinal breaks, acute posterior vitreous detachment, nearsightedness, eye injury, eye surgery, or a history of retinal detachment in family members. Anyone who has sudden flashes, floaters, or peripheral vision loss needs an urgent examination by an eye doctor familiar with retinal diseases. A careful dilated retinal examination is necessary to diagnose retinal breaks or detachment. A billowing retinal detachment surrounds the macula.