Summary

• An acute or progressive condition in which the neuroretina separates from the retinal pigment epithelium with accumulation of sub-retinal fluid and loss of retinal function.
• May be primary (rhegmatogenous retinal detachment), secondary to traction, or exudative in nature.
• In rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, retinal discontinuity promotes retinal detachment.
• Diagnosis is by indirect ophthalmoscopy or slit-lamp examination. In case of media opacity, B-scan ultrasonography is necessary.
• Left untreated, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment typically results in blindness.
• Surgical treatment is aimed at preventing fluid access to the sub-retinal space through the break and eliminating the traction causing the break.
• If treated, prognosis is generally good. The most common cause of failure is scarring due to proliferative vitreoretinopathy.