Vitreous physiology

Abstract

ell into the twentieth century, most ophthalmologists considered the vitreous humor to be sacred and that any interference with the vitreous humor would have serious consequences for the eye. The vitreous was untouchable. Pioneering researchers changed this axiom, and towards the end of the century, vitreoretinal surgeons came to think of the vitreous gel almost as an inert substance, which could be freely operated, removed, and replaced for optical and structural reasons, with no consideration for any other functions of this tissue. It became disposable. At the same time the vitreous was practically invisible; visualizing vitreous detachment with slit lamp biomicroscopy was unreliable, but dramatically improved with ultrasound and ocular coherence tomography (OCT).