Almost half the time atrophic retinal holes are associated with some amount of lattice degeneration, a condition where a part of the retina (usually a peripheral part) becomes thin.

Kenichi Toma, PhD, labeled the retinal neurons closest to the blood vessels with a protein that glows green under ultraviolet light so he could observe the lattice as it was forming.

Scientists have known for years that a lattice of blood vessels nourishes cells in the retina that allow us to see – but it’s been a mystery how the intricate structure is created.