This is the most common type of detachment. This causes these two layers to separate (detach). This can allow fluid from the jelly-like centre of the eye (the vitreous humour) to creep in between the two layers of the retina (the light-sensitive cell layer and the RPE). In this type of retinal detachment, a hole or break develops in the retina. Retinal detachment can happen in three different ways: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment Vitreous detachment leads to retinal tear in 10-15% of cases. However, in most cases the detachment will not damage the retina. A high proportion of people aged over 60 years have a vitreous detachment. This is a very common condition of older people which occurs when the vitreous gel (the jelly-like substance filling the globe of the eye) shrinks and pulls away from the retina. The most common cause of the retinal break is a posterior vitreous detachment. Retinal detachment causes What is the most common cause of retinal detachment? When you look at an object, light from the object passes through the cornea, then the lens and then hits the retina at the back of the eye. Bruch's membrane is a thin protective barrier between the choroid and the delicate retina. The tiny blood vessels of the choroid bring oxygen and nutrients to the retina. The fovea forms your pinpoint central vision. In the middle of the macula is an area called the fovea, which only contains cones.

The macula is the most densely packed with rods and cones.

The macula is the small area of the retina where your central vision is formed. It acts like a filter, keeping harmful substances away from from the sensitive cells. The RPE helps to nourish and support the rods and cones. The outer layer - the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) - is a layer of cells behind the rods and cones. The cones help us to see in the daylight, and form colour vision. These cells react to light and send electrical signals via the optic nerve to the brain.

There is an inner layer of 'seeing cells' called rods and cones. The retina is made up of two main layers.

Partially torn retina