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The vitreous is the large jelly-like mass inside most of the eye. It consists of a matrix of clear fibers and a clear liquid. In a young person, the vitreous has structure. As we age, that matrix breaks down and the vitreous becomes more watery. Sometimes the vitreous degenerates to the point that it cannot maintain its structure and it collapses. |
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It is not attached to the adjacent retina so it pulls away easily. It is loosely attached to the optic nerve and as it pulls away from the optic nerve, it tears off some glial cells which then are floating within the watery vitreous. The person can see the moving shadow of those cells in bright light. They often describe it as a spider web or a bug.
The spots can be irritating, but they often drop down out of the line of sight with time. The biggest problem with a PVD is that as the vitreous collapses, if there is an adhesion to the retina anywhere, it will tug on the vitreous and could produce a retinal detachment and possible blindness. A new PVD always indicates a need for an examination.