Vitreous degeneration and mild vitreous clouding are characterized by vitreous liquefaction, post-detachment, and atrophy leading to clouding. The normal vitreous body is a clear gel that has a tendency to degenerate with age, mainly as a result of condensation and liquefaction, which is the result of mucopolysaccharide depolymerization. Simple vitreous liquefaction has no obvious symptoms except for occasional flying mosquitoes in front of the eyes. It is most common in highly myopic and elderly people over 60 years of age.
Symptoms.
1, Flying mosquitoes in front of the eyes.
2. Suddenly see ring-shaped or spider web-like black shadow floating in front of the eyes.
3, the liquefied vitreous body can rotate with the eye and movement, pulling, stimulating the adjacent area of the retina, in the dark can feel the flash of light in front of the eyes. Generally, the number of clouding is small, and the number and degree do not change much with time.
After examination of the fundus by a physician (which generally requires dilated pupil examination), it can be found that.
1, vitreous liquefaction: flying mosquitoes in front of the eyes, no effect on vision, slit lamp examination of the vitreous see liquefied cavity.
2, vitreous concentration: the vitreous body is jittering, can pull the retina.
3, posterior vitreous detachment: fundus examination can be seen in front of the optic papilla intravitreal ring-shaped clouding, can also be deformed over time or into a lumpy clouding. Three-sided microscopy shows a black optical space in front of the retina, and occasionally vitreous hemorrhage or macular edema is seen.
4, stellate vitreous lesion: no conscious symptoms, the vitreous body can be seen in a large number of silver-white reflective vesicles, floating with the eye without sinking.
This disease has little effect on vision, and generally does not require treatment. There are no specific medications available.
Pathological vitreous opacities
Some vitreous opacities are due to pathological causes and can be a complication or result of the development of many internal eye pathologies.
Common etiologies include.
1, inflammation in the eye: one of the more common causes, mainly iridocyclitis, uveitis, retinitis, etc.
2. Hemorrhage of the vitreous and retina: in mild cases, there is only a bit of patchy clouding, but in severe cases, the pupil area can be dark. Mostly seen in patients with diabetes and hypertension.
3, retinal detachment: vitreous clouding is often the main manifestation of this disease at the beginning of the disease, and gradually aggravated with a fixed black shadow in front of the eyes, affecting vision;
4, eye trauma: can be caused by bleeding or infection during penetrating injury.
5, systemic diseases: such as nephritis, pregnancy poisoning, parasitosis (intravitreal parasites), etc.
Symptoms mainly include.
1. Self-vision of black shadows in front of the eyes, varying in shape, either thick or light, with irregular movements when the eyes are turned. Due to the different symptoms of the above-mentioned primary diseases of the eye, they may have their own characteristic symptoms.
2, the lighter does not affect vision, only manifested as flying mosquitoes (flying mosquitoes more opaque, the outline is relatively clear, moving with the rotation of the eye, constantly changing, can be aggravated or disappear, the direction of movement is variable). Heavy affect vision, mainly due to inflammation, hemorrhage, exudation and mechanization and other changes, affecting the passage of light, light for only the feeling of blurred vision, heavy only can feel the presence of light sources. The degree of cloudiness due to pathological causes is generally heavier than degeneration and can gradually increase.
A doctor’s eye examination (dilated pupil required) can reveal: fundoscopic examination, so that when the examined eye is turned up and down, left and right, black or translucent dots, strips, and blocks of turbidity can be seen floating. Primary lesions, such as inflammatory exudates, red hemorrhages, and white degenerative changes, are visible in the fundus. Ocular ultrasonography and ocular electrophysiology are also needed to understand the nature of the vitreous opacity and the condition of the retina.
Treatment is based on treating the primary disease, such as taking Chinese or Western medicine for ocular hemorrhage, ocular inflammation, and surgery for retinal detachment or hemorrhage that has not been treated with medication.
In conclusion, vitreous degeneration and clouding are more common in the elderly and myopic patients. For conditions due to pathological factors, treatment is needed to address the cause, while those due to degeneration often do not require treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to visit the hospital to distinguish the cause.