title: Predicting retinal tears in posterior vitreous detachment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to determine whether patients with acute posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) who develop delayed retinal tears within the first 6 weeks after initial presentation have predictive characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients presenting to the Hotel Dieu Hospital Emergency Eye Clinic between September 2008 and July 2009 diagnosed with acute PVD were offered enrollment.
  
  
  METHODS
  At the initial visit, patients were given the previously validated Queen's University Posterior Vitreous Detachment Patient Diary to record their daily symptoms for 6 weeks. Two or 6 weeks later, patients were reexamined in detail, and their diaries were collected and analyzed. Exact logistic regression was used to establish characteristics predictive of delayed retinal tears.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our study population of 99 patients, 2 developed delayed retinal tears. One had retinal hemorrhages and the other had a cloud-like floater at initial presentation. Vitreal or retinal hemorrhage, large number of floaters at initial presentation, and high floater frequency at initial presentation indicated a high risk of delayed retinal tear formation, yielding a median unbiased estimated odds ratio of 36.18 with p value 0.009. No other presenting risk factors or symptomatology followed daily over the first 6 weeks after acute PVD were predictive of delayed retinal tear formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PVD patients with retinal or vitreal hemorrhage, a significant number of floaters or a cloud like appearance to the floaters, or high floater frequency are at higher risk of developing delayed retinal tears.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont.
authors.forename: Kelly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: Amaka A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Eneh
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bona
authors.forename: Karim J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rahim
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014794:Visual Fields; D020255:Vitreous Detachment / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014823:Vitreous Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis