Retinal breaks secondary to vascular accidents

Seven retinal breaks occuring after occlusion of a major retinal arterial or venous branch were found in the eyes of six patients. Five holes were in the midretina, in a nonperfused avascular area corresponding to the sector affected by the vascular accident. One was a macular hole, and one a horseshoe tear outside the area involved in the vascular occlusion caused by traction of vitreous on a tuft of neovascular tissue. Five of the holes may have been caused by a kind of sequestration of the retina secondary to vascular insufficiency.