Lattice degeneration is a condition characterized by thinning areas of the peripheral retina. While it often remains symptomless, monitoring by qualified retina specialists is essential to prevent complications such as retinal tears or detachments.
Lattice degeneration involves the thinning of your peripheral retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of your eye. While this condition is common and often harmless, it is important to monitor it closely. This is because it can make the retina more prone to tears or detachment, which requires immediate attention from our retina specialist to protect your sight.
Lattice degeneration happens when parts of the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of your eye, become unusually thin. These spots often look like oval or straight patches with pigment changes, and sometimes you’ll see a crisscross pattern from hardened blood vessels. Even though the word “degeneration” sounds serious, most people with this condition don’t notice any vision problems because it usually doesn’t cause symptoms.
During an eye exam, these changes show up as thinner areas of the retina, sometimes with pigment clumps or pale spots. Thinning tends to occur near the outer edges and can affect one or both eyes, though it’s common to see it in both. Since the retina plays a key role in vision, these thinned spots are considered weaker areas and should be monitored closely.
Your vision is one of your most valuable senses, and vigilance can make all the difference when it comes to retinal health. Here’s what you should do if you notice any changes, especially if you have been diagnosed with lattice degeneration:
If you notice new floaters, flashes, or a shadow over your vision, contact our office as soon as possible for a comprehensive examination.
Note when the symptoms started and any changes or patterns you observe. This can be very helpful to our retina specialists in assessing your condition.
While no specific lifestyle modifications can cure lattice degeneration, it is wise to avoid direct eye trauma (e.g., contact sports) until your retina has been checked.
Even without symptoms, continue with your scheduled annual or more frequent eye exams to ensure that your retinal health is maintained.
A retina specialist is an ophthalmologist who has received advanced training in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. They diagnose and treat complex retinal conditions, including lattice degeneration, retinal detachments, and other retinal disorders
Retina specialists are uniquely qualified to evaluate lattice degeneration because it involves changes in the peripheral retina that can lead to retinal tears or detachments. They use specialized diagnostic tools and procedures, like retinal imaging, laser therapy, and injections, to protect and restore vision.
Lattice degeneration forms through a series of changes in the retina over time, leading to areas of thinning and weakness.
The process begins with patches of the retina gradually becoming thinner than the surrounding tissue. These areas often contain sclerotic blood vessels arranged in a crisscross or lattice pattern, which gives the condition its name.
As the vitreous gel inside the eye ages or shifts, it can pull away from the retina. In eyes with lattice degeneration, this process is uneven, and the retina is more likely to be stretched or tugged in the weakened spots.
The abnormal pull of the vitreous on these thin patches can sometimes cause small holes or tears in the retina. These are most likely to develop at the edges of the lattice lesions.
If a tear or hole forms, fluid from the vitreous can slip underneath the retina, increasing the risk of a retinal detachment. This is why regular monitoring is important for people diagnosed with lattice degeneration.
The most significant risk factor for lattice degeneration is nearsightedness, also known as myopia. People with myopia have longer eyes, which causes the peripheral retina to be stretched thinner. Studies show that while lattice is found in 8-10% of the general population, its prevalence is significantly higher in myopic eyes. This anatomical difference helps explain why nearsighted individuals have a greater overall risk of retinal tears and detachment throughout their lives.
Your family history plays a key role. If your parents or siblings have been diagnosed with lattice degeneration, you are more likely to develop it as well. This suggests a genetic predisposition to the condition, even though it doesn't follow a simple, predictable inheritance pattern. Informing our office of any known family history of retinal conditions helps us provide the most thorough care and monitoring for you.
In rare cases, lattice-like retinal changes are a feature of specific genetic disorders. These include Stickler syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which are connective tissue disorders that affect the entire body, including the eyes. Patients with these syndromes often have a higher risk of retinal detachment and require diligent monitoring by our retina specialist from an early age.
Although lattice degeneration is often asymptomatic, a history of direct or indirect eye trauma can significantly elevate the risk of retinal tears at lattice sites. Blunt impacts or rapid head movements may induce sudden vitreous traction on thinned retinal areas, precipitating symptomatic breaks. Always inform our retina specialist of any past injuries, sports‑related blows, falls, or motor vehicle accidents, as this background helps us tailor surveillance intervals and decide on earlier prophylactic measures when indicated.
One of the primary reasons lattice degeneration is monitored so closely is its association with retinal tears and detachment. While only a small proportion of people with lattice degeneration will experience these complications, understanding the process is key to prevention.
There are two main ways in which lattice degeneration can lead to retinal detachment:
Over time, the thinning retina within lattice lesions may develop small atrophic holes. In most cases, these holes remain stable; however, in some individuals, they may allow fluid to seep underneath the retina, increasing the possibility of a detachment.
The vitreous gel in the eye normally adheres loosely to the retina. In areas of lattice degeneration, this adhesion is abnormally strong. When the vitreous begins to shrink or exert traction, it can cause the retina to tear, particularly at the margins of these weakened areas.
If you experience one or more of these symptoms, it is essential to reach out to our office for a thorough evaluation. While these symptoms do not necessarily mean you will encounter a serious complication, they are early warnings that should never be ignored. However, if complications such as a retinal tear or detachment arise, symptoms might include:
If you're concerned about lattice degeneration or have noticed changes in your vision, contact our retina specialists for a detailed examination. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing you with the best care to protect your sight.
Brief bursts of light, particularly in your peripheral vision, can occur when the retina is disturbed.
An increase in small specks or cobweb-like shadows drifting across your vision can be a sign of retinal changes or a tear.
A dark or shadowy veil descending over a portion of your visual field can be alarming and may signal a retinal detachment.
Although lattice degeneration itself does not cause blurred or distorted vision, any unexpected change in your vision, such as blurring or distortion, should prompt a visit to our retina specialists immediately, as this may indicate a retinal tear or detachment.
If you’ve been diagnosed with lattice degeneration, regular checkups are key. Since it’s often found by chance during a routine eye exam, our retina specialists usually recommend a yearly dilated fundus exam to catch any changes early.
If you’re at higher risk, like having strong myopia, a family history of retinal detachment, or past retinal tears, your retina specialist may suggest more frequent visits. The goal is to spot early signs of retinal tears or detachment so they can be treated right away.
During follow-ups, your retina will be closely examined for even small changes. Sometimes, wide-angle retinal photos are taken to track how the lattice areas look over time and compare them with future exams.
Most people with lattice degeneration don’t need treatment because it doesn’t affect vision on its own. The main approach is prevention and early action if problems develop. Regular checkups with our retina specialist are the safest and most effective way to manage it.
These treatments are only done after a careful evaluation. Preventive treatment for lattice degeneration is generally not recommended unless there is an associated retinal tear, a history of retinal detachment in the other eye, or other high-risk features. Occasionally, if a patient is planning intraocular surgery (like cataract removal) and has high-risk lattice lesions, preventive treatment may be considered.
When a retinal tear is present, treatment with laser or cryotherapy is therapeutic (not merely preventive) and should be performed promptly to avert detachment. Two common options are:
Lattice degeneration is a clinical diagnosis that can only be made during a dilated eye examination. Our retina specialist will administer special eye drops to widen your pupils, providing a clear and comprehensive view of the entire retina, all the way to its outermost edges where lattice typically forms. This simple, painless procedure is the gold standard for diagnosing and monitoring the condition and is a critical part of your routine eye health.
After your pupils are dilated, our retina specialist will use a specialized microscope and lenses to carefully inspect the retina. The doctor may also perform scleral depression, which involves applying gentle pressure to the outside of your eyelid with a small instrument. This technique allows for a more dynamic and complete view of the peripheral retina, ensuring that even very small holes or tears associated with your lattice are not missed.
In addition to wide‑angle fundus photography, our specialists may employ optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) to obtain high‑resolution, cross‑sectional and en‑face images of the retina. Standard OCT is designed for the macula; only specialized wide-field or handheld OCT units occasionally capture peripheral lattice lesions. Conventional office OCT usually cannot reach that far. By creating a multimodal imaging baseline, we can detect microstructural changes, such as subtle tractional membranes or new microtears, before they become symptomatic, ensuring even earlier and more targeted intervention.
The peripheral retina can have several other common and benign findings, such as pavingstone degeneration or cystoid degeneration. Our experienced retina specialists are skilled at differentiating lattice degeneration from these other conditions. An accurate diagnosis is key to developing the correct management plan and ensuring you are not subjected to unnecessary concern or overly frequent follow-up visits, while also guaranteeing that a significant finding is not overlooked.
Most people don’t need any procedure at all, just a yearly dilated exam so your doctor can spot a tear before it spreads. When a definite retinal tear or very high-risk lesion is present, your specialist can “spot-weld” the retina in the office with laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy. Sealing the break early cuts the chance of detachment from roughly 1-in-2 to about 1-in-20 and succeeds on the first try in 80-90 % of eyes.
Lattice itself is usually stable for decades. In the largest long-term study, 10-year average follow-up, only 1% of patients developed a full retinal detachment and 3 % developed traction tears. Most changes happen slowly and are picked up at routine exams rather than by sudden symptoms.
You can’t “thicken” those thin spots once they form. What you can do is:
On its own, lattice doesn’t reduce vision and doesn’t meet U.S. Social-Security disability thresholds (which require vision worse than 20/200 or a severely constricted field). It would only become a disability if a complication, like an untreated detachment, drops vision below those legal limits.
For lattice: it’s a lifelong condition you monitor, not cure. For inherited retinal diseases: only one approved “cure-like” option exists, the gene therapy voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna) for a rare RPE65 mutation. Most other retinal degenerations still rely on low-vision aids, vitamins, or clinical-trial therapies that aim to slow, not cure, the disease, though several new gene-therapy trials are underway.
If you're concerned about lattice degeneration or have noticed changes in your vision, contact our retina specialists for a detailed examination. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing you with the best care to protect your sight.
Lattice degeneration involves thinning of the retina, often symptomless. Regular monitoring is crucial to prevent complications. Schedule your eye exam today!
