- Accumulation of blood within the anterior chamber.
- Frequently is the result of blunt eye trauma.
- The source of bleeding is usually a tear in the anterior face of
the ciliary body.
- Clinical features:
- Intraocular pressure elevation following eye injury as a result
of mechanical obstruction of the trabecular meshwork by the clotted
blood
- Rarely, pupillary block from severe hyphema may occur, causing
acute glaucoma.
- Complications:
- Prolonged unresolved hyphema
- Persistent elevation of intraocular pressure complicated with
optic nerve damage
- Corneal blood staining
and corneal endothelial decompensation.
- Management:
- Usually supportive after ruling out other possible coexisting
medical problems such as coagulopathy or Sickle cell anemia.
- Small hyphemas generally resolve in 4 to 5 days.
- Systemic antifibrinolytic agents such as aminocaproic acid
is reported to prevent secondary bleeding.
- Topical or systemic glaucoma agents.
- Surgical treatment to wash out the blood in cases with intractable
intraocular pressure elevation, unresolved total hyphema, corneal
blood staining and sickle cell patient.
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