Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment
A rhegmatogenous retinal detachment occurs due to a hole, tear, or break in the retina that allows fluid to pass from the vitreous space into the subretinal space between the sensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium(RPE).
Exudative, serous, or secondary retinal detachment
An exudative retinal detachment occurs due to inflammation, injury or vascular abnomalities that results in fluid accumulation underneath the retina without the presence of a hole, tear, or break.
Tractional retinal detachment
A tractional retinal detachment occurs when fibrovascular tissue, caused by an injury, inflammation or neovascularization, pulls the sensory retina from the retinal pigment epithelium.
A substantial number of retinal detachments result from trauma, including blunt blows to the orbit, penetrating trauma, and concussions to the head. A retrospective Indian study of 500 cases of rhegmatogenous detachments found that 11% were due to trauma, and the gradual onset was the norm, with over 50% presenting more than one month after the inciting injury.