Patients often present to optometrists complaining of floaters and/or flashing lights. These concerns demand prompt examinations to exclude sight-threatening retinal damage (Pooley, 2018). 

Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is the commonest cause of flashes and floaters in middle age due to ongoing vitreous liquefaction throughout life (Pooley, 2018). Bond-Taylor et al (2017) cite a PVD prevalence as high as 24% in patients aged 50 to 59, and 87% in patients aged 80 to 89, and found a 14.5% incidence of retinal tears in patients with PVD symptoms.