Pathological Causes Of Eye Floaters
There are many Pathological Causes Of Eye Floaters in the eye and vitreous. Eye Floaters can also be caused by abnormal deposits in the vitreous which can be white blood cells, red blood cells, drug remnants, parts of the cataract and retinal flaps.
1- White Blood Cells
Which can occur after intra-ocular inflammation that is called uveitis. Many systemic and ocular diseases can cause uveitis and the most common are: sarcoidosis, multiple sclerosis, Behçet diseases, leukemia and intra-ocular infections such as syphilis, toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis and CMV retinitis.
2- Red Blood Cells
Remnants of red blood cells can present after vitreous haemorrhage is resolved. Common causes of vitreous haemorrhage are: diabetic retinopathy, retinal vessels occlusions, retinal macroaneurysm, trauma, wet age related macular degeneration with CNV and retinal detachment with tearing to retinal blood vessels.
3- After Cataract Eye Surgery
One of the complications of cataract surgery is rupture of the posterior capsule in which parts of the cataract can be dropped to the back of the eye and settle in the vitreous.
4- Drug Remnants
Which can occur after cataract surgery with rupture of the posterior capsule or can occur with intra-ocular injections of steroid or Anti-VEGF drugs such as Avastin and Lucentis. Those injections are mainly use to treat wet Age Related Macular Degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
5- Retinal Flap and retinal tear
With incomplete posterior vitreous detachment, there might be retinal traction. Sometimes with this traction a retinal flap will occur and this part of the retina will settle in the vitreous.
6- After Vitrectomy Surgery
In vitrectomy surgery your eye doctor will remove the vitreous with special cutter and replace it either with fluid, gas, air or silicon oil. Remnants of gas bubbles inside your eye will give the perception of floater.
Also after the removal of silicon oil from your eye, few oils droplets can still remain in the vitreous and give the perception of floaters.
7- After YAG Laser Capsulotomy
After cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation, the back surface of the lens and the posterior capsule can be opacified or fibrosed causing blurred vision and this is called posterior capsular opacification. With YAG laser capsulotomy, this opacification will be released and parts of it will be settled in the vitreous causing
