ACUTE TEAR OF THE RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM

Tears of the retinal pigment epithelium are a recently recognized complication of senile macular degeneration. A retinal pigment epithelial tear associated with an extramacular pigment epithelial detachment is described in which the patient recovered excellent vision. The clinical features of this condition are discussed, and evidence is presented which localizes the cleavage plane in retinal pigment epithelial detachments to be between retinal pigment epithelial basement membrane and the remainder of Bruch's membrane.