Shafer's sign is associated with a posterior retinal detachment.
Synonym: Schaffer's sign, tobacco dust sign
The sign is the presence of brown pigmented cells in the anterior vitreous.
It is associated with:
(1) posterior retinal detachment or break
(2) previous ocular surgery
The brown material is believed to be retinal pigment that has been dislodged. It could also represent hemosiderin.
