Mathematical Model for the Progression of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment (RRD)

The separation of the neural layer (NL) and the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), referred to as retinal detachment (RD), is a disease of vertebrate eyes affecting nearly twenty eight thousand individuals in the United States annually. The rate at which RD progresses--especially in response to constant eye movement--and the factors influencing this progression remain poorly understood. This lack of quantitative insight contributes to delays in treatment which can lead to permanent vision loss. In this work, we develop a mathematical model to investigate the progression of retinal detachment over two saccadic eye rotation. We explore how various model parameters--describing fluid properties, biomechanical properties of the retina, molecular properties of the bond between the NL and the RPE, as well as geometric and physical properties of the eye--affect disease progression.