Thin Retina Increases Risk of Detachment

If you see shadows, flashes, or floaters in your field of vision they could be symptoms of a serious sight-threatening eye problem, particularly if you have a rather common condition called lattice degeneration, according to Kenneth Simons, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology at the Eye Institute.

"If your doctor tells you that you have lattice degeneration, it doesn't mean that your garden fence is crumbling," said Simons. "It means that an area of your retina is thin and you may be at risk for retinal detachment, which could rob you of useful vision."

The retina is a delicate tissue lining the inside of the eye. It sends sharply-focused images along the optic nerve to the brain. A thinned retina looks like latticework because its network of tiny blood vessels is more clearly revealed during an eye exam.

Lattice degeneration is a fairly common developmental, and perhaps congenital, condition that can run in families. Eight percent to 16% of the population is affected. Fortunately, it does not always lead to retinal detachment, which is uncommon, occurring in only one of every 10,000 people. Fully one-third of this group, however, have lattice degeneration associated with their detachments.

If you have an eye exam and are told that you have lattice degeneration, you should be aware of these early warning signs of retinal detachment:

• A shadow creeping across the vision
• Bright flashes of light
• Showers of dark spots called "floaters"

If detected early, you may need only a laser or freezing procedure to treat it. These are performed under local anesthesia in a doctor's office. More often, an operation is needed to repair the break and its associated detachment.

For more information, contact the Froedtert & Medical College Eye Institute.

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.