Vitreous turbidity is a more common pathological condition in which the vitreous body appears cloudy in the shape of dust or flocculent, and patients can notice the appearance of dark shadows flitting in front of their eyes. It is not a stand-alone eye disease, but is often overlooked because of its similarity to many other eye diseases. Vitreous turbidity generally appears in people over 40 years of age, due to changes in intravitreal metabolism or oxidation of vitamin C and other substances in the vitreous, causing degradation of hyaluronic acid macromolecules, resulting in a liquefied cavity. The main manifestation of vitreous turbidity is the obstruction of vision, discomfort, and even blindness in severe cases. Because the vitreous body has no blood vessels or nerve tissue, the metabolic process is slow, so when vitreous clouding occurs, the clinical outcome is less than ideal.
A variety of diseases can cause vitreous clouding, including inflammatory, traumatic, and systemic disease clouding.