Lattice degeneration is a disease of the

human eye The human eye is a sensory organ in the visual system that reacts to light, visible light allowing eyesight. Other functions include maintaining the circadian rhythm, and Balance (ability), keeping balance. The eye can be considered as a living ...

wherein the peripheral

retina The retina (; or retinas) is the innermost, photosensitivity, light-sensitive layer of tissue (biology), tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some Mollusca, molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focus (optics), focused two-dimensional ...

becomes atrophic in a lattice pattern. Usually, this happens slowly over time and does not cause any symptoms, and medical intervention is neither needed nor recommended. Sometimes other retinal problems (such as tears, breaks, or holes) may be present along with lattice degeneration. However, these problems may also be distinct from or independent of lattice degeneration itself. The cause of lattice degeneration is unknown, but pathology reveals inadequate blood flow resulting in

ischemia Ischemia or ischaemia is a restriction in blood supply to any tissue, muscle group, or organ of the body, causing a shortage of oxygen that is needed for cellular metabolism (to keep tissue alive). Ischemia is generally caused by problems ...

and

fibrosis Fibrosis, also known as fibrotic scarring, is the development of fibrous connective tissue in response to an injury. Fibrosis can be a normal connective tissue deposition or excessive tissue deposition caused by a disease. Repeated injuries, ch ...

. The condition is common in those with

myopia Myopia, also known as near-sightedness and short-sightedness, is an eye condition where light from distant objects focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina. As a result, distant objects appear blurry, while close objects appear normal. ...

(nearsightedness).

Prevalence and risk of retinal detachment

Lattice degeneration is associated with

retinal detachment Retinal detachment is a condition where the retina pulls away from the tissue underneath it. It may start in a small area, but without quick treatment, it can spread across the entire retina, leading to serious vision loss and possibly blindness. ...

, but the chance of developing retinal detachment if lattice degeneration exists is very low. Lattice degeneration occurs in approximately 6–8% of the general population and in approximately 30% of phakic retinal detachments. Similar lesions are seen in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome,

Marfan syndrome Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a multi-systemic genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue. Those with the condition tend to be tall and thin, with dolichostenomelia, long arms, legs, Arachnodactyly, fingers, and toes. They also typically ha ...

, and

Stickler syndrome Stickler syndrome (hereditary progressive arthro-ophthalmodystrophy) is a group of rare genetic disorders affecting connective tissue, specifically collagen. Stickler syndrome is a subtype of collagenopathy, types II and XI. Stickler syndrome i ...

, all of which are associated with an increased risk of

. Risk of developing lattice degeneration in one eye is also increased if lattice degeneration is already present in the other eye. Lattice degeneration is often an incidental finding during a regular eye exam. The

American Academy of Ophthalmology The American Academy of Ophthalmology is a professional association, professional medical association of ophthalmologists. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Its membership of 32,000 medical doctors includes more than 90 percent ...

notes though retinal detachment is associated with lattice degeneration, lattice degeneration is not as strongly associated with or predictive of retinal detachment, with one study finding a low overall risk of developing retinal detachment at around 0.3–0.5%.

Treatment

There is no treatment for lattice degeneration. If lattice degeneration is present around the setting of other, more serious problems such as retinal tears, holes, the risk of retinal detachment may be higher, so preventative treatments may be recommended to strengthen the retina. Barrage laser is at times done

prophylactic Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, is the application of healthcare measures to prevent diseases.Hugh R. Leavell and E. Gurney Clark as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental health a ...

ally around a hole or tear associated with lattice degeneration in an eye at risk of developing a retinal detachment. It is not known if surgical interventions such as laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy are effective in preventing retinal detachment in patients with lattice degeneration or ''asymptomatic'' retinal detachment. Laser photocoagulation has been shown to reduce risks of retinal detachment in ''symptomatic'' lattice degeneration. There are documented cases wherein retina detached from areas which were otherwise healthy despite being treated previously with laser.

Prevention

There are no preventative techniques for lattice degeneration.

Prognosis

In the overwhelming majority of cases, lattice degeneration has no effect on quality of life.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lattice Degeneration Eye diseases