Initial stages of posterior vitreous detachment in healthy eyes of older persons evaluated by optical coherence tomography.
Arch Ophthalmol
; 119(10): 1475-9, 2001 Oct.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-11594947
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To promote understanding of the development of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) in healthy eyes using optical coherence tomography (OCT).METHODS:
We studied 209 eyes of 209 healthy volunteers (165 men and 44 women; mean age, 52.3 years [range, 31-74 years]). In addition to biomicroscopy and ophthalmoscopy, OCT was performed to obtain high-resolution cross-sectional images of the vitreoretinal interface in the posterior fundus.RESULTS:
The condition of the posterior vitreoretinal interface was classified as 1 of 5 stages, according to biomicroscopic findings and OCT images relative to discrete linear signals indicating a detached posterior vitreous face stage 0, no PVD (61 eyes [29.2%]); stage 1, incomplete perifoveal PVD in up to 3 quadrants (100 eyes [47.8%]); stage 2, incomplete perifoveal PVD in all quadrants, with residual attachment to the fovea and optic disc (26 eyes [12.4%]); stage 3, incomplete PVD over the posterior pole, with residual attachment to the optic disc (4 eyes [1.9%]); or stage 4, complete PVD identified with biomicroscopy, but not with OCT because of instrument limitations (18 eyes [8.6%]). Stage 1, 2, and 3 incomplete PVD without subjective symptoms was not recognizable on contact lens biomicroscopy. There was a significant age-related progression in the condition of the vitreoretinal interface from stage 0 to stage 4. The superior quadrant was usually the initial site of incomplete PVD.CONCLUSIONS:
Optical coherence tomography demonstrates that healthy human eyes have incomplete or partial PVD beginning as early as the fourth decade of life. Age-related PVD occurs initially as a focal detachment in the perifovea of 1 quadrant, with persistent attachment to the fovea and optic nerve head, with a predilection for the superior quadrant. It extends its range slowly for years and eventually results in complete PVD, associated with release of vitreopapillary adhesion.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Vitreous Body
/
Vitreous Detachment
/
Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Arch Ophthalmol
Year:
2001
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Japan