The retina lines the inside of the eye like wallpaper. 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.