RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLOATERS, LIGHT-FLASHES, OR BOTH, AND COMPLICATIONS OF POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT

We examined biomicroscopically the vitreous and retinal conditions of 902 consecutive symptomatic eyes (785 patients) to ascertain the relationship between floaters, light Bashes, or both, and complications of posterior vitreous detachment. Of 785,patients, 785 symptomatic eyes were;divided as follows: group 1, 342 eyes with Boaters alone; group 2, 240 eyes with Boaters and light Bashes; and group 3, 203 eyes with light Bashes alone. We also studied 636 asymptomatic fellow eyes. The prevalence of posterior vitreous detachment was significantly higher in groups 1 (138 of 342, 40%), 2 (214 of 240, 89%), and 3 (137 of 203, 67%) than in the asymptomatic eyes (127 of 636, 20%), in group 2 than in groups 1 and 3, and in group 3 than in group I (P = .01). The prevalence of retinal breaks in eyes with posterior vitreous detachment was 5% (seven of 138), 13% (27 df 214), 12% (Ig of 137), and 4% (five of 127) in groups 1, 2, 3, and the asymptomatic eyes, respectively; the prevalence was significantly higher in groups 2 and 3 than in asymptomatic eyes (P = .02 and P = .04) and group 1 (P = .04 and P = .05). The prevalence of vitreous hemorrhage in eyes with retinal breaks was 71% (five of seven); 70% (19 of 27), and 6% (one of 16) in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Of 117 patients with bilateral symptoms, 105 (90%) had the same symptoms and 104 (89%) had the same vitreoretinal relationship, bilaterally. Our results show that the presence of both Boaters and light Bashes carries the highest risk of development: of posterior vitreous detachment and retinal breaks among the three symptoms, and that vitreous hemorrhage is a good indicator of retinal breaks in eyes with floaters.