Muscae volitantes
Muscae volitantes are extremely common tiny fly- or worm-like physiological opacities best seen by the patient against a pale background. They are thought to be predominantly composed of embryological remnants in the vitreous gel.
Vitreous haemorrhage
Vitreous haemorrhage is a relatively common condition with a number of causes ( Table 17.1 ). In an eye with a dense vitreous haemorrhage ultrasound investigation should be undertaken to exclude a retinal detachment or choroidal melanoma.
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Presentation : varies according to the severity of the bleed and the underlying cause. Mild haemorrhage causes sudden-onset blurring and floaters which may not affect visual acuity, whereas a dense bleed may result in severe visual loss ( Fig. 17.1A ).
Fig. 17.1
(A) Resorbing vitreous haemorrhage, (B) acute intra- and pre-retinal haemorrhage in Terson syndrome.
( Figure 17.1A courtesy of Chris Barry, Lions Eye Institute, Perth, Australia.)
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Terson syndrome : this syndrome describes the combination of intraocular and subarachnoid haemorrhage secondary to rupture of a berry aneurism ( Fig. 17.1B ) (see Chapter 19 ).
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B-scan US : initially shows a uniform appearance; once cellular aggregates develop, small focal echoes become visible.
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