Vitreous hemorrhage, or bleed, results in a
sudden change in vision as it blocks light
moving through the vitreous to the retina.
This hemorrhage specifically occurs in front
of the retina in the posterior section of
the eye. It usually presents with sudden
vision loss, frequently with complaints of
floaters or "spots" in the vision. The
condition is not due to bleeding of the
vitreous humor, but rather bleeding from the
retinal vessels or underlying choroid (layer
of capillaries beneath the retina) in most
cases. Occasionally, bleeding from the iris
(in the front of the eye) results in the
presence of blood in the vitreous humor.
The vitreous hemorrhage may be the result of
an aneurysm of a blood vessel in the eye,
trauma to the eye, a retinal tear, a retinal
detachment, a new blood vessel (neovascularization)
or as a result of another underlying disease
state. Vitreous hemorrhage occurs more
frequently in patients over 50 but can occur
at any age.
SIGN & SYMPTOMS
Someone experiencing a vitreous hemorrhage
may experience one or more of the following
symptoms:
sudden onset of blurry vision
light flashes
floaters (spots seemingly floating across
the field of vision)
blindness
DIAGNOSTIC TESTING
Retinal examination
Visual acuity
Slit lamp examination
Direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy
Ultrasound (to rule out retinal detachment)
Fluorescein Angiogram
TREATMENT
Initial treatment may be observation alone.
Minor hemorrhages often clot and resolve on
their own over time. Unfortunately, it may
take months for full visual recovery from a
vitreous hemorrhage.
A vitrectomy is a surgical procedure that
removes the vitreous gel and the blood from
inside the eye. After the vitreous is
removed, the surgeon will refill the eye
with a special saline solution that closely
resembles the natural vitreous fluid in the
eye.
Recovery from the procedure will take up to
6 weeks and complete vision recovery will
take a little longer.
COPYRIGHT � 2014 APOLLO EYE INSTITUTE DR
MALLIKA GOYAL
Vitreous hemorrhage, or bleed, results in a
sudden change in vision as it blocks light
moving through the vitreous to the retina.
This hemorrhage specifically occurs in front
of the retina in the posterior section of
the eye. It usually presents with sudden
vision loss, frequently with complaints of
floaters or "spots" in the vision. The
condition is not due to bleeding of the
vitreous humor, but rather bleeding from the
retinal vessels or underlying choroid (layer
of capillaries beneath the retina) in most
cases. Occasionally, bleeding from the iris
(in the front of the eye) results in the
presence of blood in the vitreous humor.
sudden onset of blurry vision
