4 Things You Need To Know About Senile Retinoschisis
Retinoschisis is an eye condition characterized by the splitting of the retina—the light-sensitive tissue that focuses images and sends them to your brain—into two separate layers. When this condition is acquired later in life, rather than in childhood, it's classified as senile retinoschisis. Here are four things you need to know about senile retinoschisis.
What causes senile retinoschisis?
Senile retinoschisis appears to occur as a result of microcystoid degeneration. Microcystoid degeneration refers to degenerative, bubble-like lesions around the edges of the retina. If these lesions coalesce (merge into bigger lesions), they can separate the layers of the retina, resulting in senile retinoschisis.
However, other factors that haven't yet been identified need to be involved as everyone older than 8 years has microcystoid degeneration, but not everyone gets senile retinoschisis. More studies need to be done to identify the unknown factor responsible for this progression.
What are the signs of senile retinoschisis?
When senile retinoschisis first develops, it's typically asymptomatic. Fortunately, the disease remains stationary in most cases. This means that the disease doesn't get any worse, so many people may never realize that they have senile retinoschisis.
In other cases, however, the disease slowly gets worse and leads to symptoms like photopsia (seeing flashes of light), floaters or even vision loss. If you notice any of these symptoms, have your eyes examined right away.
What are the complications of senile retinoschisis?
The main complication associated with senile retinoschisis is retinal detachment. This means that your retina pulls away from the back of your eye. When the retina pulls away, it doesn't have access to the blood flow it needs to survive, which means the retina can die. Once your retina dies, your optometrist can't repair it, which leads to permanent vision loss. Fortunately, this can all be avoided by seeking prompt treatment for senile retinoschisis.
How is senile retinoschisis treated?
Senile retinoschisis can be treated with laser photocoagulation. During this surgery, an ophthalmologist will use a handheld laser to cauterize (burn) the lasers of your retina together. This treatment keeps the retina from splitting any further. According to NIH, one study treated 59 eyes affected with senile retinoschisis in this way; 11 (18.64%) of the eyes were fully treated, while 37 (62.71%) of the eyes were improved. None of the eyes were made worse by the treatment.
If you notice changes in your vision, like the appearance of flashing lights or floaters, you could have senile retinoschisis and need to see your optometrist. Click here for more information about this eye condition.