Clinical Course and Visual Prognosis of Vitreous Hemorrhage in Children

Park, Won Kyung; Choi, Mi Young; Yu, Young Suk

Abstract

The authors performed a retrospective review on 27 eyes of 23 children with vitreous hemorrhage, to assess the natural history, the outcome of vitrectomy and the important prognostic factors. Mean age was 3. 7 years(range: birth~13.5 years). The causes of vitreous hemorrhage included trauma(6 patients), retinopathy of prematurity(5 patients), persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous(4 patients)and others(8 patients). Spontaneous absorption of vitreous hemorrhage in 11 of 27 eyes was observed and took mean 2. 5 months. Sixteen eyes had undergone vitrectomy for persistent vitreous hemorrhage(mean duration: 3. 4 months). Follow up period was mean 32. 8 months(range: 20~79 months). Visual improvement was achieved in 70%of all patients and there was no statistical significance between spontaneous absorption group and vitrectomy group. Deprivation amblyopia was complicated in 7 of 9 patients whose visual acuity could be measured in both eyes. anisometropic myopia(> OR =2. 0 diopter)was observed in 7 of 14 patients. Our results supported that causes of vitreous hemorrhage in children was variable and early vitrectomy and postoperative correction with occlusion therapy might be essential in treatment of childhood vitreous hemorrhage.