Macular hole

In what has been observed in a few of the JES research participants to date, is what is known as a macular hole. As part of the normal aging process, the vitreous humor (also termed, vitreous) will slowly contract and pull away from the surface of the retina. However, if the vitreous is firmly attached, or sticks to the retina when it pulls away, this can cause the macula to stretch and create a tear in the retina, thus creating a macular hole. As the hole forms, one's central vision will become blurred or distorted (remembering that the macula, the central part of the retina, is responsible for central, high-resolution vision). As the hole grows, a dark or blind spot will appear in the central vision. Peripheral vision is not affected by a macular hole.

In the fundus (red and red free) image below, a macular hole is observed. The macula (the dark 'spot' in the near center of the fundus image) can best be described by having a clear and defined boundary.

In comparison, in the fundus image (below) of a normal eye, the macula is best described by having a more diffuse (less defined) boundary.

With the aid of OCT technology, a macular hole is more clearly displayed. In the left image (below), the macular hole is clearly evident when compared to a normal, healthy retina (right image below). Both OCT images of the retina are captured traversing the superior-inferior quadrants of the retina.