what can cause retinal tears in children and how is myopia linked to it

[mothergoose369]

My son had just been diagnosed with. A big retinal tear, he's only  6 and was complaining of  black spots everywhere,we took him to the a&e and turned out he had a giant retina tear, he is myopc In both eye 20/70 and the opthalmologist said this could be why he had a Giant Retinal tear as I was sure he had no injury, how does myopia cause retina tears in children and what are some other causes of it

[roseleenlee1919]

Hello. Saw this and had to answer. I had a GRT as a young child and complex retinal detachment. I also had moderate mobility issues. I am very myopic. When my daughter was born her sight and mobility issues mirrored mine. We were diagnosed with Stickler Syndrome. It's the leading cause of GRT and retinal detachment in children. It's worth looking into......

[JohnHaganMD]

Fortunately Stickler's Syndrome is rare and only types 1 and 2 dominantly inherited.

[sophia_xx]

Hi doctor, how common are retinal tears in children

[JohnHaganMD]

In children without disposing factors such as high myopia, family history of RD, severe trauma or retinopathy of prematurity very rare.

[JohnHaganMD]

Myopia is a long eye, the long eye puts stress on the retina like a pregnant woman's stomach is stretched by the baby in the uterous.  At some point the retina may tear and detach. Other common cause is trauma.

[worriedrandomer123]

Doesn't it happen with severe myopia?  Is that severe myopia? My son hadn't had any trauma

[JohnHaganMD]

No even among high myopes the incidence of RD is about 1 in 1000

[worriedrandomer123]

So if someone had myopia, does is give them a higher risk of it, also I want to know what he saw, what do flashes from retinal tears look like

[JohnHaganMD]

Yes the risk is higher in high myopes. In non-myopes without special risk factors RD occur one in 10,000  Flashes are described as like flashbulb going off in eye or a bolt of lightening at midnight.

[worriedrandomer123]

So can children have flashes without retinal tear or detachment ?

[JohnHaganMD]

Yes anyone can.

[worriedrandomer123]

What if its not a retinal tear or migraine, can they still see occasional but continuous flashes like you see a flash and then cant see it for like a day and then happens again and then keeps happening for like a day or two and then stops or like 2 days , ? Is that a retina tear and can ppl see flashes without there being a retinal tear or pvd or migraine present

[JohnHaganMD]

I'm sorry you are having an anxious day. I really don't have any more to say.

[worriedrandomer123]

Could it be a retinal tear though?

[JohnHaganMD]

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