Retinal detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from its underlying layer of support tissue. Initial detachment may be localized, but without rapid treatment the entire retina may detach, leading to vision loss and blindness.

The retina is a thin disc-shaped layer of light-sensitive tissue on the back wall of the eye. Its job is to translate what we see into neural impulses and send them to the brain via the optic nerve. Occasionally, injury or trauma to the eye or head may cause a small tear in the retina, which allows fluid to seep through, and peel it away like a bubble in wallpaper.

Types

• Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment - A rhegmatogenous retinal detachment occurs due to a hole, tear, or break in the retina that allows fluid to pass into the subretinal space between the sensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium.
• Exudative or secondary retinal detachment - An exudative retinal detachment occurs due to inflammation or injury that results in fluid accumulating underneath the retina without the presence of a hole, tear, or break.
• Tractional retinal detachment - A tractional retinal detachment occurs when epiretinal fibrovascular tissue, caused by an injury or inflammation, pulls the sensory retina from the retinal pigment epithelium.