Retinal Detachment Incidence Follows a Seasonal Course

Higher numbers of RRD cases in summer could be because of ease of access to the hospital in comparison with winter months, which could present limitations in transportation for patients living in harsher weather conditions. Photo: Mark Dunbar, OD. Click image to enlarge.  Various aspects of physical health wax and wane based on seasonal patterns, but not that many in eye care.  In a new investigation published in Retina, researchers wanted to explore whether the incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is one such condition that may be affected seasonally.To test this claim, 18 studies comprising 384,723 cases of RRD were studied, geographically spanning North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Two-thirds of the studies, representing 95% of cases, observed seasonal variation in RRD incidence, with a greater number of cases occurring in the spring and summer. Considering all meteorological variables, low atmospheric pressure and high solar radiation may be linked with the incidence of retinal detachment.The authors of the study note in their paper that they had originally planned to conduct a formal meta-analysis, although this was unfeasible due to methodological differences among the studies. Despite this, they still gleaned some insights into the relationship between RRD and time of year. One main finding was a seasonal variation in incidence, with fewer RRD cases reported in fall and winter months in the Northern hemisphere; this observation was verified in studies conducted in Asia and Europe, but with evidence being limited in other regions.As for why this seasonality exists at all, the authors speculate in their paper that “it is biologically plausible that meteorological variables can influence the development of RRD through physiological changes in the vitreous, retinal vessels, vitreoretinal adhesion and retinal pigment epithelium function.” In support of this hypothesis, they point to increased temperatures already having been shown to accelerate posterior vitreous detachment development via vitreous liquefaction promotion in porcine eyes, thus leading to retinal tear formation. As well, it has been proposed that low atmospheric pressure, resulting in hypoxia, could induce choroidal and vascular changes, in turn leading to compromised retinal pigment epithelium pump function and macular edema. They also postulate that “low atmospheric pressures in an eye with pre-existing full-thickness retinal breaks may result in subretinal fluid accumulation, leading to a RRD.”However, the investigators of the Retina paper caution that the associations seen with this systematic review do not imply causation, offering alternate explanations that may explain this relationship. One is that warmer temperatures and more sunlight have already been linked with increased presentations to the hospital from trauma—a known risk factor for RRD. Another possibility is because of worsened atopic conditions in summer months, resulting in eye rubbing, which is another known link with retinal detachment.The authors conclude that “multimodal retinal imaging may have a role in elucidating subtle physiological changes in retinal, vitreous and choroidal physiology pertaining to solar radiation and atmospheric pressure.” Click here for the journal source. Far PM, Issa M, Popovic MM, et al. Seasonal variation in the incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment worldwide: a systematic review. Retina. July 23, 2025. [Epub ahead of print].  This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.