Data on the natural history of retinal detachment. I. Age and sex relationships.

It is universally recognized that retinal breaks play an essential role in the causation of idiopathic retinal detachment; therefore, the term rhegmatogenous * retinal detachment has been coined to denote a detachment resulting from a retinal break. The exact conditions which bring about retinal breaks are still unclear, and it must be admitted that their pathogenesis is largely a matter of speculation. There are 2 approaches which seem to offer interesting possibilities to the problems of retinal detachment. First, it is hoped that our increasing knowledge of the metabolism of the vitreous body will permit a study of the biochemistry of retinal detachment on the molecular level. This would provide a clear understanding of the biochemical mechanisms which culminate in the production of retinal breaks and subsequent retinal detachment. It may eventually be determined that a whole group of chronic conditions are related to the type of metabolic dysfunction which causes