Vitreous Pathology

Abstract

The vitreous is involved in a wide variety of pathologies. The vitreoretinal interface is the site of adhesion between the posterior vitreous cortex and the retina’s internal limiting membrane, and a pathological interaction between these two surfaces accounts for pathologies including vitreomacular traction, macular holes, epiretinal membranes, retinal tears and detachments, and macular edema. The vitreous has a structural role in retinal neovascularization, in particular proliferative diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, and familial exudative vitreoretinopathy. Metabolic disorders of the vitreous include amyloidosis and asteroid hyalosis. These diseases of the vitreous and vitreoretinal interface will be discussed in this chapter.