RT Journal
A1 Chang HJ, Lynm C, Golub RM
T1 REtinal detachment
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD April 4
VO 307
IS 13
SP 1447
OP 1447
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.320
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.320
AB 
The retina  is a light-sensitive, transparent tissue located in the back of the eye. Light is focused on the retina by the cornea and the lens. The retina then converts the image into neural impulses and sends them to the brain via the optic nerve  (the nerve connecting the eye to the brain). Retinal detachment  is the separation of the retina from the tissues underneath it. It is important to distinguish retinal detachment from posterior vitreous detachment  (in which the jelly in the eye peels away from the retina), which is a natural aging process that occurs in many people. Every year, about 1 to 2 people per 10 000 develop retinal detachment. Retinal detachment is a medical emergency. The April 4, 2012, issue of JAMA includes an article about the risk of retinal detachment from a type of antibiotic. This Patient Page is based on one previously published in the November 25, 2009, issue of JAMA.