Initial Stages of Posterior Vitreous Detachment in Healthy Eyes of Older Persons Evaluated by Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

POSTERIOR vitreous detachment (PVD) is one of the most striking age-related changes in the human eye. According to autopsy studies,^1,2 PVD is present in fewer than 10% of persons younger than 50 years, but has been found in at least one eye in 27% of individuals aged 60 to 69 and in 63% of subjects aged 70 and older. Clinical studies^3-8 also reveal a low incidence of PVD in individuals younger than 50. Posterior vitreous detachment is believed to develop after liquefied vitreous passes abruptly into the subhyaloid space and separates the posterior hyaloid from the retina.^9,10 However, the actual process in older persons with healthy eyes remains unknown, because of the difficulty in identifying its initial stage.¹¹ Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of the posterior vitreous cavity and the retina.^12-14 In this prospective study, we used commercially available OCT equipment to improve our understanding of the process of PVD in older persons with healthy eyes.