In this episode, Dr. Mohsin Ali joins us to discuss his recent study on a simpler and highly effective way to clinically diagnose posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) using slit-lamp visualization of the posterior hyaloid membrane. The study compared this technique to the traditional Weiss ring method and OCT confirmation, finding that slit-lamp assessment of the posterior hyaloid was more sensitive, had a higher negative predictive value, and performed comparably in specificity — without requiring special lenses or imaging. Dr. Ali explains how the technique works, why it matters for everyday practice, and how it can improve decision-making around retinal tears, detachments, and vitreoretinal surgery — making a strong case that this should become a core diagnostic skill for all ophthalmologists.

The instructional slit-lamp PVD video referenced in this episode is available as supplemental material with the original Ophthalmology Retina publication. The video can be found here

References Article:

Sood S, Barra TA, Duong RT, et al.

Non-Funduscopic Slit Lamp Assessment of the Posterior Hyaloid Membrane: A Simpler and More Effective Way of Clinically Diagnosing Posterior Vitreous Detachments.

Ophthalmology Retina. 2025;9(9):892-898. doi:10.1016/j.oret.2025.02.027