Question

Which one of the following is the serious complication of degenerative myopia in the eye?

• A. Retinal detachment
• B. Vitreous liquefaction
• C. Myopic crescent
• D. Posterior staphyloma

Hint:

Retinal thinning and vitreous traction in high myopia raise the risk of the most sight-threatening complication.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

This question is about which change seen in degenerative myopia is a true medical emergency rather than just a background structural finding.

1. Retinal detachment: The overstretched eyeball thins the retina and lets the vitreous pull away and tug on weak spots, which can tear the retina and lift it off, causing sudden severe vision loss. This is the serious, urgent complication.
2. Vitreous liquefaction: The vitreous gel becoming more watery with myopic change is a background process, not a sight-threatening event on its own.
3. Myopic crescent: This is a patch of tissue atrophy next to the optic disc from long standing stretching, a structural sign rather than an acute complication.
4. Posterior staphyloma: This outward bulge of the weakened eye wall shows severe disease but does not by itself cause a sudden vision-threatening event the way a detachment does.

Only retinal detachment causes an acute, urgent loss of vision, which is why it is the serious complication being asked about, while the other three are structural background changes.

Let's summarize:

• Degenerative myopia thins and stretches the retina, raising the risk of tears and detachment.
• Vitreous liquefaction, myopic crescent, and posterior staphyloma are structural findings, not acute emergencies by themselves.

So retinal detachment is the serious complication of degenerative myopia.