Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be

talking to you about posterior vitreous detachment. And you can find written notes on this topic at

zero to finals.com slash posterior vitreous detachment or in the ophthalmology section of the second

edition of the zero to finals medicine book. And you can find flashcards and questions to train your

knowledge and help you remember the information for longer at members.0 tofinals.com. So let's get straight into it.

Posteria vitreous detachment is when the vitreous body comes away from the retina.

This is a common occurrence in older age.

The vitreous humor is the gel inside the vitreous chamber of the eye.

It maintains the structure of the eyeball and keeps the retina pressed up on the corroid.

With age, the vitreous humour becomes less firm and less able to maintain its shape. This makes it more

likely to change shape and separate from the retina, which is called posterior vitrious detachment.

Let's talk about the presentation. Posteria vitrious detachment is a painless condition. It may be completely asymptomatic.

The key symptoms are floaters, flashing lights and blurred vision.

Let's talk about the management. No treatment for posterior vitreous detachment is necessary.

Over time, the symptoms will improve as the brain adjusts.

However, it can predispose patients to developing retinal tears and retinal detachment,

both of which are sight-threatening conditions.

These conditions can present similarly with flashes,

floaters, and vision loss.

It's essential to exclude a retinal tear or retinal detachment

with a thorough assessment of the retina,

usually by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist.

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