Idiopathic peripheral vitreous membranes

An unusual case of bilateral prepapillary glial sheets and peripheral vitreal membranes is described. Such membranes are seldom reported in the literature. A retinal specialist concurred that the avascular membranes, present in the inferior retinae of both eyes, were congenital because the membranes were bilateral and symmetrical and because the patient had no other sign of retinal or systemic conditions associated with membrane formation. There were fenestrations in the membranes, which gave the initial impression of retinal tears and associated detachment However, there were no retinal breaks beneath the membranes nor was there any evidence of retinitis, myopia, or any other mechanism which could be considered causative for a vitreal membrane. Diseases associated with membrane formation and the confusion of the membranes with retinal detachment are discussed.