- The risk of retinal tear (RT) or retinal detachment (RRD) associated with acute posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) seen in a comprehensive eye care setting is lower than rates reported in retina specialty clinics.
- Several factors can help predict complications, including blurred vision, age younger than 60, prior eye surgery, symptoms less than 1 week, family retinal detachment history, floaters, flashes, vitreous pigment, hemorrhage, lattice degeneration, and vision worse than 20/40.
- High-risk factors for late complications included vitreous hemorrhage, lattice degeneration, or history of RT or RRD in the fellow eye. Close follow-
2. What Literature says:
Acute PVD is typically accompanied by floaters (myodesopias or
entopsias) or light flashes (photopsias)
Significant variability in the literature regarding what the presence or
absence of these symptoms implies
studies have variably reported that photopsia symptoms are
1. Predictive either of a complicated PVD, nonpredictive, or protective
The risk of RT or RRD occurring with PVD in published reports ranges
widely from 15.0% to 27.1%
3. Current concept
Acute posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is a critical lifetime
event that may be associated with the development of a retinal
tear (RT) or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), which
may in turn result in permanent vision loss if not identified and
treated promptly.
4. What is the problem with current thinking?
Prior studies evaluating acute PVD have been
typically performed in retinal specialty practices and
likely suffer from referral bias for more significant
PVD-related events
5. The Question?
What are the risk factors for retinal tear (RT) or
rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) associated with
acute, symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) in
a comprehensive eye care setting
6. Main Issue
By not referring to a retina specialist, is the comprehensive
ophthalmologist correct ?
Especially the chances of missing Presence of RT or RRD at initial
presentation or within 1 year thereafter.
7. Reference
Complications of Acute Posterior Vitreous Detachment.
VOLUME 129, ISSUE 1, P67-72, JANUARY 01, 2022.
Michael I. Seider, MDCarol Conell, PhD,Ronald B. Melles, MD
8. Rate of RT and RRD associated with acute PVD to be lower than rates
previously reported by retina subspecialty practices.
Several patient features strongly predicted the presence of initial and late
complications of acute PVD
Complications of Acute Posterior VitreousDetachment
Michael I. Seider, MD,1,2 Carol Conell, PhD,3 Ronald B. Melles, M
Ophthalmology Volume 129, Number 1, January 2022
9. How likely is a patient to have a
complicated PVD based
on features that can be determined by a
comprehensive ophthalmologist
10. Role of comprehensive ophthalmologist:
Understand
Risk of RT/RRD at presentation and within 1 year
Evaluation of rates and risk factors
Relate between refraction and risk of RT/RRD
12. Population distribution of 8305 patients presenting with acute symptomatic posterior
vitreous detachment (PVD). Women made up 61.2% of the cohort and presented at a
slightly earlier age than men (63.1 vs. 64.7 years, respectively).
13. Risk factors: History & Symptoms
Blurred vision
Age < 60 years
Prior cataract surgery
Prior photorefractive surgery
Symptoms < 1 week duration
Family history of RD
Floaters
Flashes
15. Initial and delayed rates of acute posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) complicated by retinal tear
(RT) or retinal detachment (RD)
High-risk factors for delayed events included any vitreous hemorrhage, lattice degeneration, or
history of RT or RD in the fellow eye
17. The median interval until a late event was 22 days after initial presentation
93 of the late complications (70.0%) occurred within 6 weeks.
Sixty of the late events (45.1%) were detected at a scheduled follow-up appointment
19. Refractive Error
High myopia (-3.00D -6.0 D ) risk factor for complicated PV
Independent of patient age
Relatively linear relationship
Between
The age at presentation of PVD and refractive error
Myopic patients presenting at a younger age
Hyperopes at a later age, compared with emmetropes
20. Factors predictive of Late events
More likely to occur in patients who initially presented with
1. Vitreous hemorrhage
2. Lattice degeneration
3. History of RT or RD in the fellow eye
4. Occur at a median of 22 days after presentation
5. Follow up closely sooner than interval of 6 weeks
21. Salient Points
Incidence of RT during acute PVD in comprehensive ophthalmology is
substantially lower than that reported in series from retina subspecialty clinics
Specific risk factors that can assist in predicting which patients are at highest
risk of complicated PVD both at triage and the time of initial examination
22. Predictive Factors of Late events
Vitreous hemorrhage
Lattice degeneration,
History of RT or RRD in the fellow eye
Patients with any of these key characteristics should be observed closely
23. Refractive error
Close relationship among refractive error, patient age at PVD, and
risk of complicated PVD, with myopic eyes not only presenting at a
younger age but also having an independently greater risk of
associated RT or RRD