Peripheral retina in myopia. With particular reference to retinal breaks.

Since Gonin (1921, 1930) established the role of retinal breaks in the aetiology of retinal detachment, the closure or isolation of retinal breaks has become an essential part of all procedures for the treatment of this condition. The "prophylactic" treatment of retinal breaks is practised in many centres, but in recent years it has been shown that asympto- matic retinal breaks without detachment are a frequent finding in "normal" eyes (Halpern, I966; Byer, I967; Rutnin and Schepens, I967).