Intraocular hemorrhage
Encyclopedia
Intraocular hemorrhage is bleeding (hemorrhage) into the eye
ball (oculus in Latin
. It may be the result of physical trauma
(direct injury to the eye) or medical illness. Severe hemorrhage, particularly when leading to rising pressure inside the eye
, may lead to blindness
.
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
ball (oculus in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. It may be the result of physical trauma
Physical trauma
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
(direct injury to the eye) or medical illness. Severe hemorrhage, particularly when leading to rising pressure inside the eye
Intraocular pressure
Intraocular pressure is the fluid pressure inside the eye. Tonometry is the method eye care professionals use to determine this. IOP is an important aspect in the evaluation of patients at risk from glaucoma...
, may lead to blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
.
Types
- Subconjunctival hemorrhageSubconjunctival hemorrhagethumb|right|250px| A stress induced subconjunctival hemorrhage in the left eye one week after hemorrhaging. Same hemorrhage four weeks after hemorrhaging. Some of the blood in the [[sclera]] has turned yellow, like a bruise....
(under the conjunctivaConjunctivaThe conjunctiva covers the sclera and lines the inside of the eyelids. It is composed of rare stratified columnar epithelium.-Function:...
) - HyphemaHyphemaHyphema is blood in the front chamber of the eye. It may appear as a reddish tinge, or it may appear as a small pool of blood at the bottom of the iris or in the cornea.-Causes:...
(in the anterior chamberAnterior chamberThe anterior chamber is the fluid-filled space inside the eye between the iris and the cornea's innermost surface, the endothelium. Aqueous humor is the fluid that fills the anterior chamber. Hyphema and glaucoma are two main pathologies in this area. In hyphema, blood fills the anterior chamber...
) - Vitreous hemorrhageVitreous HemorrhageVitreous Hemorrhage is the extravasation of blood into the areas in and around the vitreous humor of the eye. The vitreous humor is the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eye...
(into the vitreousVitreous humourThe vitreous humour or vitreous humor is the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eyeball of humans and other vertebrates...
) - Subretinal hemorrhage (under the retinaRetinaThe vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
) - Submacular hemorrhage (under the maculaMaculaThe macula or macula lutea is an oval-shaped highly pigmented yellow spot near the center of the retina of the human eye. It has a diameter of around 5 mm and is often histologically defined as having two or more layers of ganglion cells...
)
Causes
Different causes may cause bleeding in different locations.- Terson's syndrome (as a result of subarachnoid hemorrhageSubarachnoid hemorrhageA subarachnoid hemorrhage , or subarachnoid haemorrhage in British English, is bleeding into the subarachnoid space—the area between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater surrounding the brain...
) - Hemophilia (a severe bleeding disorder, usually hereditary)
- AnticoagulantAnticoagulantAn anticoagulant is a substance that prevents coagulation of blood. A group of pharmaceuticals called anticoagulants can be used in vivo as a medication for thrombotic disorders. Some anticoagulants are used in medical equipment, such as test tubes, blood transfusion bags, and renal dialysis...
s and thrombolysisThrombolysisThrombolysis is the breakdown of blood clots by pharmacological means. It is colloquially referred to as clot busting for this reason...
(medication to reduce blood clotting tendency or to disperse blood clots, respectively)