Flashes and floaters
- Floaters may be caused by
- vitreous debris from
- infection
- inflammation
- haemorrhage
- age-related degeneration of the vitreous
- forming condensations of collagen fibres
- Patients may describe floaters as ‘flies’, ‘cobwebs’ or ‘worms’ that are more pronounced against light backgrounds
- hemorrhage of retinal vessels
- into the vitreous is described as minute black or red spots
- most common cause: proliferative diabetic retinopathy
- vitreous debris from
- Flashes
- are visual phenomena known as photopsias
- “perception of light in the absence of external light stimuli”
- described
- momentary arc of white light
- similar to a bolt of lightning or a camera flash.
Ophthalmic Flashes | Ophthalmic Floaters | Ophthalmic Both Flashes and FLoaters | Non-opthalmic flashes | |
Posterior vitreous detachment | Posterior vitreous detachment | Posterior vitreous detachment | Migraine – scintillating scotomas, coloured lights, bilateral, evolves over 5 to 30 minutes before resolving with onset of a headache, normal visual acuity | |
Retinal detachment | Retinal detachment | Retinal detachment | Postural hypotension – bilateral temporary dimming of vision and light-headedness | |
Retinal tear/hole | Retinal tear/hole | Retinal tear/hole | Occipital tumours | |
Optic neuropathy/neuritis – photopsia on eye movement, retrobulbar pain | Vitreous haemorrhage | Posterior Uveitis | Vertebrobasilar insufficiency/ TIA | |
Retinitis | Vitritis | Hallucinations | ||
Rapid Eye movement in Darkenss | Vitreous syneresis | GCA | ||
Corneal Opacity/FB/Tear film debris |