Vitreous hemorrhage may be followed by complications that can range from minor to severe, depending on the severity of the inciting cause and the extent of hemorrhage.
Risk factors for complications:
(1) severity of inciting cause (least risk if no inciting cause, highest with trauma)
(2) extent of hemorrhage
(3) single episode vs recurrent/chronic
Complications:
(1) acute change in visual acuity
(2) toxic damage to retinal cells with chronic change in visual acuity
(3) proliferative vitreoretinopathy with or without retinal detachment
(4) secondary open-angle glaucoma (ghost cell, hemolytic, hemosiderotic)
(5) other (cholesterolosis bulbi, hemoglobin spherulosis, vitreous cylinders)
Complications |
Mild Hemorrhage |
Moderate to Severe Hemorrhage |
loss in visual acuity |
floaters/haze |
painless loss of vision |
damage to retinal cells |
none |
hemosiderosis bulbi (siderosis bulbi) |
proliferative vitreoretinopathy |
none |
retinal detachment |
glaucoma |
none |
secondary open-angle glaucoma |
Specialty: Ophthalmology