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  • Posterior Vitreous Detachment

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    • What Are Symptoms of a PVD?
    • Can a PVD Cause Vision Loss?
  • Young female ophthalmologist using slit lamp to examine older happy man

    What Is a Posterior Vitreous Detachment?

    Leer en Español:
    ¿Qué es el desprendimiento de vítreo posterior?
    Written By: Daniel Porter
    Reviewed By: G Atma Vemulakonda, MD
    Feb. 21, 2019

    The middle of the eye is filled with a substance called vitreous. The vitreous is normally attached to the retina, in the back of the eye. A posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is when the vitreous pulls away from the retina.

    What causes a PVD?

    As we age, the vitreous changes. It becomes less solid and more liquid-like. It shrinks and pulls away from the back of the eye. The vitreous is attached to the retina by millions of microscopic fibers. When enough of these fibers break, the vitreous separates completely from the retina, causing a PVD.  

    Next

    What Are Symptoms of a PVD?

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