Which statement best describes the mechanism of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment?

• A. It results from a retinal tear allowing vitreous fluid to seep under the retina
• B. It results from choroidal detachment due to hypotension
• C. It is due to exudation from inflammatory process
• D. It is due to retinal detachment caused by traction only

Answer: (A)

Rhegmatogeneous retinal detachment occurs when a full-thickness retinal break forms, creating a path for liquefied vitreous to seep into the subretinal space. Once this fluid passes through the tear, it lifts the neurosensory retina away from the underlying retinal pigment epithelium, producing detachment. Aging-related changes in the vitreous, like posterior vitreous detachment, increase the risk of a tear that allows fluid to track under the retina. This mechanism is distinct from exudative detachments, which arise from inflammatory or other fluid leakage without a retinal break, and from tractional detachments, where fibrovascular tissue pulls the retina away. Choroidal detachment due to hypotension represents a different process entirely.