| What is the meaning of floaters? | | | | examination to rule out any incomplete vitreous |
| Floaters are seen by the patients as floating black | | | | detachments with traction on the retina. |
| spots on their visual field. | | | | Other causes of floaters are deposits on the |
| Why patients see floaters | | | | vitreous humor which can occur after uveitis in |
| The eye consists of two segments, the anterior | | | | which white blood cells will deposit, after resolved |
| segment which lies in front of the lens and is filled | | | | vitreous hemorrhage in which red blood cells will |
| with aqueous humor while the posterior segment | | | | deposit, after cataract surgery especially when |
| is filled with vitreous humor. During childhood, the | | | | there is posterior capsule rupture, after intraocular |
| vitreous is clear and is jellylike material. Later in | | | | injections in which drug remnants will deposit in |
| life, vitreous normally will undergo liquefaction and | | | | the vitreous. |
| changed from jellylike material to fluid like material | | | | What are the causes of deposits in the vitreous |
| in a process called vitreous syneresis and this will | | | | humor? |
| cause the collage fibers within the vitreous to | | | | 1- Causes of uveitis like sarcoidosis, multiple |
| form strands. With each eye movements, those | | | | sclerosis, Behçet diseases, leukemia and |
| strands will also move, causing floaters. | | | | many other causes of intra-ocular inflammation |
| Another normal mechanism of floaters is posterior | | | | 2- Causes of intra-ocular infections like syphilis, |
| vitreous detachments. Normally there are | | | | toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis and CMV retinitis |
| adhesions between the vitreous and the retina | | | | 3- After cataract surgery especially with posterior |
| and for some reasons like old ages, myopia and | | | | capsule rupture |
| trauma; these adhesion's will be released causing | | | | 4- After YAG laser capsulotomy, in which the |
| vitreous detachments from the retina. Vitreous | | | | laser will be used to create a hole in fibrosed |
| will collapse inside the posterior segment of the | | | | posterior capsule. |
| eye and with each eye movements, collapsed | | | | How floaters disappear? |
| vitreous will move, causing floaters. | | | | 1- By brain adaptation, in which your brain will |
| Posterior vitreous detachment is normally present | | | | ignore the presence of these floaters and you will |
| in old ages and also in myopic patients. Usually it | | | | no long see them |
| occurs without complications and only the patients | | | | 2- By natural absorption process of the eye, |
| will complain of floaters which usually will disappear | | | | especially of cases that occur after uveitis, |
| from few weeks to month later. Sometimes, | | | | vitreous hemorrhage. |
| posterior vitreous detachment from the retina is | | | | 3- Treatment of the underlying conditions like with |
| incomplete, in which some parts will remain | | | | anti-inflammation and antibiotics |
| attached to the retina, causing traction on the | | | | 4- Vitrectomy, which is the surgery to remove |
| retina. This traction will be noticed by the patient | | | | the vitreous. It is indicated when there are large |
| as flashes of lights and with time, this traction can | | | | amounts of deposits in the vitreous that did not |
| lead to retinal detachment. | | | | cleared with time or medications and they affect |
| Note: Any patient who noticed floaters for the | | | | the vision of the patient. |
| first time should have complete ocular | | | | |