PREDICTIVE VALUE OF FLOATERS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF POSTERIOR VITREOUS DETACHMENT

PURPOSE: To evaluate Weiss ring and floaters as indexes of posterior v itreous detachment. METHODS: Using biomicroscopy and indirect ophthalm oscopy, we examined the posterior vitreous in 200 consecutive eyes wit h posterior vitreous detachment. RESULTS: In 200 eyes with posterior v itreous detachment, biomicroscopy disclosed complete, in complete, and no Weiss ring in 102 (51%), 72 (36%), and 26 (13%) eyes, respectively . Indirect ophthalmoscopy showed the glial ring in 58 (56.9%) and 16 ( 22.2%) of the eyes, with a complete (102 eyes) and incomplete (72 eyes ) Weiss ring, respectively. Although the incidence of floaters was sig nificantly correlated with the presence of the glial ring (P = .0014), 60 (58.8%) and 49 (68.1%) of the eyes with a complete (102 eyes) and incomplete (72 eyes) glial ring, respectively, had no floaters. CONCLU SION: Detecting the detached posterior vitreous cortex by biomicroscop y is essential regardless of the presence of Weiss ring or floaters.