OUTCOME OF ACUTE NONTRAUMATIC VITREOUS HEMORRHAGE IN HEALTHY PATIENTS.

Purpose: To compare outcomes in dense vitreous hemorrhage versus mild vitreous hemorrhage due to nontraumatic posterior vitreous detachment.

Methods: We compared 315 eyes, divided into 2 patient groups, one with dense and the other with mild vitreous hemorrhage. The main outcome measures were final mean best-corrected visual acuity, number of retinal tears, number of retinal detachments, and the number of pars plana vitrectomy and/or scleral buckle surgeries.

Results: In 33.4% of the patients, posterior vitreous detachment without complications was found. Retinal breaks after posterior vitreous detachment were found in 59% of the eyes. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was principally treated with pars plana vitrectomy and scleral buckle. In nonvisible fundus hemorrhage group, 44.4% of the patients underwent vitrectomy. In visible fundus hemorrhage group, 9.52% of the patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy. The mean final visual acuity was 20/25, without significant difference between groups (P = 0.064).

Conclusion: Acute, spontaneous, nontraumatic posterior vitreous separation with vitreous hemorrhage is associated with a high incidence of retinal complications. Close follow-up is necessary. We did not find significant differences in final visual acuity neither between the two groups nor among the treatments.