What causes vitreomacular traction?

What causes vitreomacular traction?

As we age, the vitreous can sometimes separate from the retina and cause a condition known as posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Sometimes, the vitreous doesn’t come away completely, leaving some of the gel attached and pulling on the macula. This then results in vitreomacular traction (VMT).

What are the symptoms of vitreomacular traction?

The most common symptoms of vitreomacular traction (VMT) include:

  • distorted vision that makes a grid of straight lines appear wavy, blurry, or blank.
  • seeing flashes of light in your vision.
  • seeing objects as smaller than their actual size.

Is vitreomacular traction common?

How common is Vitreomacular Traction Syndrome? VMT only occurs in about 1 in 4400 people. The occurrence of VMT in patients with diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and other macular diseases is much higher.

Can VMT correct itself?

In some cases the VMT can remain stable and in some cases it may resolve spontaneously. In other cases, the VMT progressively gets worse with more distortion and worse vision. Once the membrane begins to cause progressive damage to your vision, it should be fixed surgically, with a vitrectomy.

How is vitreomacular traction treated?

In most cases, vitrectomy surgery is the most effective treatment to release the vitreomacular traction. During vitrectomy surgery, the vitreous is removed from the eye and the vitreous is separated from the back of the eye.

How do you manage vitreomacular traction?

After a diagnosis of vitreomacular traction (VMT), there are usually three treatment options:

  1. Observation or a “wait-and-see” approach. If your VMT is mild and not affecting your vision, treatment might not be needed.
  2. Surgery. Severe cases of VMT can lead to vision-threatening retinal conditions, such as:
  3. Medication.

When do you treat vitreomacular traction?

Watchful waiting and regular monitoring with OCT is often used for patients whose symptoms do not warrant active intervention. Some cases of VMT may spontaneously resolve. For patients whose symptoms are severe enough to require intervention, pars plana vitrectomy surgery is one treatment option.

Can vitreomacular traction resolve itself?

Treatment and prognosis Some cases of VMT may spontaneously resolve. For patients whose symptoms are severe enough to require intervention, pars plana vitrectomy surgery is one treatment option.

What is vitreomacular traction syndrome?

Vitreomacular traction (VMT) syndrome is a potentially visually significant disorder of the vitreoretinal interface characterized by an incomplete posterior vitreous detachment with the persistently adherent vitreous exerting tractional pull on the macula and resulting in morphologic alterations and consequent decline …

What is the diagnosis of vitreomacular traction ( VMT )?

Vitreomacular traction (VMT) syndrome is a disorder of the vitreo-retinal interface characterized by: (i) an incomplete posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), (ii) an abnormally strong adherence of the posterior hyaloid face to the macula and

When does detachment of the vitreous cause traction?

This detachment usually occurs as part of the normal aging process. There are instances where a PVD is incomplete, leaving the vitreous partially attached to the retina, and causing tractional (pulling) forces that can cause anatomical damage. The resulting condition is called vitreomacular traction (VMT) syndrome.

How is vitreomacular traction syndrome different from Irvines syndrome?

In 1967, Jaffe described ‘vitreoretinal traction syndrome’ in 14 patients as a distinct entity. The condition he described mostly affected phakic patients, lacked multicystic macular lesions and fluorescein leakage, and demonstrated vitreoretinal adherence – features differentiating it from Irvine’s syndrome.

How is ocriplasmin used to treat vitreomacular traction?

Clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy and safety of a single intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin for the treatment of patients with symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion, and/or vitreomacular traction. Ocriplasmin is therefore a treatment option for some patients who have vitreomacular traction but who are not candidates for surgery.

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