The pathogenesis of commotio retinae in animal models has included extracellular edema, intracellular edema, and photoreceptor outer segment disruption. Histopathologic findings obtained within 24 hours of blunt trauma in a human eye with clinically-observed commotio retinae revealed photoreceptor outer segment disruption and damage to the retinal pigment epithelium. The major site of injury in commotio retinae seems to be at the level of the photoreceptor outer segment-retinal pigment epithelium junction.