A smouldering fire in the eye: vuurtje.

Dear Editor,

Herein we present the spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic (SD-OCT, Heidelberg Spectralis; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) image of an 80-year-old male patient with partial posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Tractional forces from the vitreous body pull retinal layers by means of vitreoretinal adhesions.1,2 This high-resolution SD-OCT image illustrates how traction elevates the internal limiting membrane of the retinal nerve fiber layer (Fig. 1). At this early stage, tractional forces have partly lifted all layers, from the retinal nerve fibers to the outer nuclear layer. Furthermore, thickening and early microcyst formation in the outer nuclear layer can be observed.

Figure 1

Vuurtje; the impression of a smouldering fire in the eye is created by this retinal spectral domain optical coherence tomographic image of partial posterior vitreous detachment in an 80-year-old male patient.

The retinal OCT image creates the impression of yellowish-red flames of a small fire (vuurtje in Dutch) rising from within the eye (Fig. 1). (Etymology traces the noun fire [fyr in Old English] back to the Old Frisian word “fiur”, pronounced as “vuur” in modern Dutch; -tje is the diminutive suffix.)