Hyphema: Considerations in the Small Animal Patient PMC

Occasionally, episcleral injection may occur in diseases of the sclera, such as episcleritis or scleritis. The acute red eye is a common clinical challenge for general practitioners. Redness is the hallmark of ocular inflammation but a nonspecific sign related to a number of underlying diseases. Proper evaluation depends on effective and efficient diagnosis in order to save the eye’s vision and the eye itself.

Your doctor will probably give you atropine to dilate your pupil and corticosteroids to prevent scarring. Your doctor will ask whether you’ve ever had an eye injury and what happened before the hyphema. It’s important for them to know if, for example, you were hit in the eye with a baseball or you ran into a tree branch. Referral to an ophthalmic specialist is appropriate for management of severe or resistant cases of uveitis. Generally, primary glaucoma begins as a unilateral disease but, eventually, the other eye develops it as well. Treating the “second” eye with a prophylactic medication even if IOP is within the normal range is critical in order to delay onset of disease.

I took her to the vet they said she had a high blood pressure of 79. They prescribed two different eyedrops which we applied for 14 days and then took her back to that same vet. The second time the eye pressure came out at 55 they said to continue the eye drops 3 times a day.

Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, drug toxicities and chemotherapy, and platelet consumption from vasculitis, neoplasia, and DIC are also possible. The systemic diseases that result in intraocular hemorrhage are very similar to those causes of uveitis in both dogs and cats. An ocular ultrasound may also be helpful in establishing a diagnosis since often the posterior segment is not visible through the hemorrhage. Several infectious diseases can lead to widespread vasculitis in the body, resulting in the extravasation of blood from the vascular tunic of the eye and manifesting as hyphema. Some of the most common conditions include Rocky Mountain spotted fever , brucellosis, leptospirosis, and ehrlichiosis in endemic areas.

Hemorrhage occurs when blood vessels from uveal tract are damaged, disrupted or anomalous. Treatment for glaucoma is indicated in eyes with elevated intraocular pressure. Note the hyphema in anterior chamber and classical seagull sign of retinal detachment in this 4-year-old boxer with lymphoma. Ocular ultrasounds to investigate the anterior portion of the eye and include/exclude possibilities of retinal detachment, lens displacement, abnormal masses, and vitreal hemorrhage.

If an infection spreads through a dog, then eye health is not the only concern. Systemic hyphema is usually bilateral, i.e. it affects both eyeballs. Ginn J.A., Bentley E., Stepien R.L. Systemic hypertension and hypertensive retinopathy following PPA overdose in a dog.

Thoracic radiographs may reveal primary or metastatic disease, evidence of pulmonary, pericardial, or pleural hemorrhage and can change the therapy and possibly worsen the prognosis for the patient. Abdominal ultrasound may reveal fluid or blood in the abdomen or abnormalities in the abdominal organs. remove fiberglass from skin Systemic bleeding disorders commonly responsible for causing hyphema include thrombocytopenia, hemolytic and nonhemolytic anemia, and clotting disorders. Although inherited coagulopathies are seen infrequently in emergency situations, acquired coagulopathies present more commonly as an emergency.

In older dogs and cats, hyphema, combined with glaucoma or iridocyclitis, is often secondary to primary and secondary intraocular neoplasia. The laboratory workup for traumatic hyphema is tailored to the specific patient. While laboratory evaluation is not indicated in most patients with a hyphema, blood coagulation tests should be considered in patients with a known bleeding diathesis or pertinent review of systems.

Pain, corneal edema, and disturbance of vision may be present with glaucoma. Another recent study has shown that the use of amniotic membranes can decrease scarring, promote healing of corneal injuries, and provide anti-inflammatory properties. Ulcers with greater than 50% stromal loss and malacia require more aggressive medical management; sometimes surgical correction is necessary. 360° perilimbal deep corneal vascularization ; note episcleral injection (straight, nonmoveable, perilimbal, episcleral vessels approximately 90° to limbus). When a dog has medical issues, veterinarians often rely on the same medical diagnosis tools that doctors use for humans.