The effect of aspirin on rebleeding in traumatic hyphema

A Case of Bilateral Delayed-onset Hyphema Following Pupil Dilation after Gonioscopy-assisted Transluminal Trabeculotomy

Aim and objective

To present a case of bilateral delayed-onset hyphema following the administration of a 1% tropicamide and 2.5% phenylephrine fixed combination ophthalmic agent, in the late follow-up period of a gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) combined with cataract extraction.

Background

Gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy consists on a 360° trabeculotomy through an ab interno approach that may also be combined with cataract surgery. Delayed-onset hyphema has been reported with trabecular minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) procedures. Some proposed mechanisms are ocular compression and decompression during sleeping on the surgical side and episcleral venous pressure rise after physical activity.

Case description

We describe the case of a 68-year-old female patient with ocular hypertension (OHT) and bilateral cataracts who underwent uncomplicated combined GATT and cataract extraction surgery. Postoperatively, 8 months after the left eye (OS) surgery and 3 months after the right eye (OD) surgery, patient came for routine evaluation. After induced mydriasis, slit-lamp evaluation revealed the presence of 3+ OD and 4+ OS erythrocytes in the anterior chamber (AC). Prednisolone acetate was prescribed q.i.d. and remission of hyphema was achieved after 2 weeks. Subsequently, 4 months later, the pupil dilation was again induced showing 4+ erythrocytes in both eyes (OU), layered hyphema in the inferior quadrant OS, and intraocular pressure (IOP) spike OU. The intraocular pressure was controlled after oral acetazolamide was prescribed. Topic prednisolone was initiated, and after 1 week, the hyphema was resolved in OU.

Conclusion

Delayed-onset microhyphema may occur following induced mydriasis even months after the uncomplicated GATT procedure. Ophthalmologists should be aware of the possibility of microhyphema after induced mydriasis and the risks that this might represent with noteworthy and repeated IOP spikes which may eventually require treatment.

Clinical significance

Delayed-onset hyphema and IOP spikes may occur following the pupil dilation with fixed combination of phenylephrine and tropicamide ophthalmic agent after the uncomplicated GATT procedure.

How to cite this article

Espinoza G, Rodriguez-Una I, Pedraza-Concha A. A Case of Bilateral Delayed-onset Hyphema Following Pupil Dilation after Gonioscopy-assisted Transluminal Trabeculotomy. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2020;14(2):72-75.

Controversies in the pathophysiology and management of hyphema

Traumatic hyphemas present dilemmas to physicians. There are numerous controversies pertaining to the optimal approach to traumatic hyphema and no standardized guidelines for its management. We address some of these controversies and present a pragmatic approach. We discuss various medical agents and surgical techniques available for treatment, along with the indications for their use. We address the complications associated with hyphema and how to diagnose and manage them and consider the management of hyphema in special situations such as in children and sickle-cell anemia and in rare clinical syndromes such as recurrent hyphema after placement of anterior chamber intraocular lenses.

Outpatient management of traumatic microhyphema

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to evaluate the clinical course of patients treated for traumatic microhyphema and the occurrence of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and secondary hemorrhage in these patients.

DESIGN

Retrospective noncomparative case series.

PARTICIPANTS

Records of all patients treated for traumatic microhyphema through the Wills Eye Hospital Emergency Department from January 1997 through September 1999 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients examined for 3 consecutive days after presentation and 2 weeks after initial presentation were included. Patients with open-globe injury were excluded. A total of 162 patients met the study criteria.

INTERVENTION

All patients were treated initially as outpatients according to the standard Wills Eye Hospital protocol for traumatic microhyphema (atropinization, bedrest, shield, restriction of antiplatelet medications). Three patients were subsequently hospitalized.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The occurrence of IOP elevation (greater than 21 mmHg) and rebleeding was recorded. The effect of topical corticosteroids was evaluated.

RESULTS

IOP was elevated in 14 patients. Six patients had IOP less than 26 mmHg and required no treatment. Six patients had IOP greater than 26 mmHg and received medical treatment. In two patients, IOP increased after initial presentation. Of 150 patients with normal IOP at presentation, only one (0.7%) developed an elevated IOP at any point to warrant treatment (28 mmHg). Rebleeding was documented in three patients, one of whom developed a layered hyphema. The incidence of rebleeding was not statistically associated with the use of topical corticosteroids.

CONCLUSIONS

Complications from traumatic microhyphema treated with standard measures are few. Closeness of follow-up may be determined by IOP on presentation. Secondary hemorrhage seems to be unaffected by the use of topical corticosteroids.

Management of traumatic hyphema

Hyphema (blood in the anterior chamber) can occur after blunt or lacerating trauma, after intraocular surgery, spontaneously (e.g., in conditions such as rubeosis iridis, juvenile xanthogranuloma, iris melanoma, myotonic dystrophy, keratouveitis (e.g., herpes zoster), leukemia, hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, and in association with the use of substances that alter platelet or thrombin function (e.g., ethanol, aspirin, warfarin). The purpose of this review is to consider the management of hyphemas that occur after closed globe trauma. Complications of traumatic hyphema include increased intraocular pressure, peripheral anterior synechiae, optic atrophy, corneal bloodstaining, secondary hemorrhage, and accommodative impairment. The reported incidence of secondary anterior chamber hemorrhage, that is, rebleeding, in the setting of traumatic hyphema ranges from 0% to 38%. The risk of secondary hemorrhage may be higher in African-Americans than in whites. Secondary hemorrhage is generally thought to convey a worse visual prognosis, although the outcome may depend more directly on the size of the hyphema and the severity of associated ocular injuries. Some issues involved in managing a patient with hyphema are: use of various medications (e.g., cycloplegics, systemic or topical steroids, antifibrinolytic agents, analgesics, and antiglaucoma medications); the patient's activity level; use of a patch and shield; outpatient vs. inpatient management; and medical vs. surgical management. Special considerations obtain in managing children, patients with hemoglobin S, and patients with hemophilia. It is important to identify and treat associated ocular injuries, which often accompany traumatic hyphema. We consider each of these management issues and refer to the pertinent literature in formulating the following recommendations. We advise routine use of topical cycloplegics and corticosteroids, systemic antifibrinolytic agents or corticosteroids, and a rigid shield. We recommend activity restriction (quiet ambulation) and interdiction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. If there is no concern regarding compliance (with medication use or activity restrictions), follow-up, or increased risk for complications (e.g., history of sickle cell disease, hemophilia), outpatient management can be offered. Indications for surgical intervention include the presence of corneal blood staining or dangerously increased intraocular pressure despite maximum tolerated medical therapy, among others.

Clinical evaluation of aminocaproic acid for managing traumatic hyphema in children

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of secondary hemorrhage after traumatic hyphema in children and to evaluate the efficacy of epsilon aminocaproic acid in reducing this incidence.

METHODS

In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study performed between November 1987 and February 1994, 94 children admitted for traumatic hyphema were assigned to receive either aminocaproic acid (n = 48) (100 mg/kg every 4 hours; maximum, 30 g daily) or placebo (n = 46) for 5 days. Patients who had ingested aspirin in the week preceding admission were excluded from the study.

RESULTS

Mean age of the patients was 9.4 years. Black patients comprised 4% of the study population. Secondary hemorrhage occurred in only three patients (3.2%), two from the placebo group and one from the aminocaproic acid group, none of whom had any complications. The duration of hospital stay and the clot resorption times were increased significantly in the aminocaproic acid group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The authors report a very low incidence of secondary hemorrhage compared with most previous studies. This difference is likely related to the small proportion of black patients in our study and to the exclusion of patients having ingested aspirin, two factors that seem to be associated with higher rates of rebleeding. The efficacy of aminocaproic acid could not be determined due to the low incidence of hemorrhage. The results of this study, however, suggest that the incidence of secondary hemorrhage in white patients without prior ingestion of aspirin is insufficient to justify routine use of aminocaproic acid in managing traumatic hyphema. Rather, an individualized decision based on the risk factors of each patient would seem more appropriate to avoid a slower clot resorption time and possible side effects of this medication.

Aminocaproic acid versus prednisone for the treatment of traumatic hyphema. A randomized clinical trial

One hundred twelve patients who sustained hyphema after blunt trauma were enrolled in a double-blind randomized clinical trial to determine the relative efficacies of aminocaproic acid (Amicar) and systemic prednisone for reducing the rate of secondary hemorrhage. Fifty-six patients received an oral dosage of 50 mg/kg of aminocaproic acid every 4 hours for 5 days, up to a maximum of 30 g daily, and 56 patients received an oral dosage of 40 mg of prednisone daily (adjusted for weight) in two divided doses. Placebo pills and liquids were given to each patient to mask the treatment schedules. There were no statistically significant differences between the patient populations for any demographic or clinical characteristic (e.g., visual acuity, intraocular pressure [IOP], initial hyphema size) measured in the study. Blacks comprised 53% of the study population, and the mean age of the patients was 23.5 years. Four patients in each of the treatment groups experienced a secondary hemorrhage; the rebleed rate was 7.1% in each group.

Traumatic hyphema in children. Treatment with epsilon-aminocaproic acid

Forty-nine patients, ages 3 to 18 years, who sustained nonpenetrating unilateral trauma with hyphemas were assigned randomly to receive either 100 mg/kg of epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA), an antifibrinolytic agent, orally every 4 hours for 5 days (maximum 30 g/day) or a placebo. No patients ingested acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)-containing compounds before or during admission. Two patients of 24 treated with EACA and 1 of 25 given placebo had rebleeds. The hyphemas in the EACA-treated group took significantly longer to clear (mean, 5.3 versus 2.6 days; P less than 0.001). Because of the low incidence of rebleeds in the placebo group, the efficacy of EACA in reducing the rate of rebleeds could not be determined. Further studies with this drug, controlling for age, race, sickle trait, and pre-admission antiplatelet agents should be undertaken before its routine use in traumatic hyphema management can be recommended.

A comparison of two dose regimens of epsilon aminocaproic acid in the prevention and management of secondary traumatic hyphemas

Fifty-nine patients who sustained hyphema following blunt trauma were randomly assigned prospectively to either of two dose regimens of epsilon aminocaproic acid (Amicar). Twenty-six took an oral dosage of 50 mg/kg ("half dose") every four hours for five days, up to a maximum of 30 g/day, and 33 patients received 100 mg/kg ("full-dose") every four hours up to a maximum of 30 g/day. Five patients in the full-dose group experienced dizziness, hypotension, and syncope. Half-dose Amicar substantially reduced such serious side effects (P = 0.063), had no adverse effect on the reduced rate of recurrent hemorrhages (P = 0.22), and was more cost effective than the full-dose regimen. When the two patients in the half-dose group receiving 30 g/day of Amicar were deleted, however, the comparison of dizziness and hypotension in the two groups became more significant (P = 0.050). The incidence of nausea and vomiting was approximately the same in both groups (P = 0.52). Serum Amicar levels were within the range of plasminogen inhibition at both dose levels. Prior aspirin ingestion appeared to have no influence on the rate of rebleeding (P = 0.58).

Aspirin and recurrent hyphema after blunt ocular trauma

Recurrent hyphema after traumatic blunt injury to the eye is associated with a more serious prognosis than that occurring from the initial trauma, resulting in a higher risk of glaucoma, corneal staining, surgical intervention, poor visual acuity, and enucleation. Risk factors associated with the development of recurrent bleeding are not well defined, but recent evidence suggests a high association with concurrent aspirin ingestion. Of 25 consecutive patients with hyphemas (20 males and five females, ranging in age from 2 to 53 years), 12 took aspirin after the initial trauma and seven had recurrent hyphemas. Platelet aggregation determinations in these seven patients showed defects associated with aspirin. Only one of 13 patients without aspirin intake had recurrent bleeding.

Total hyphema evacuation by vitrectomy instrumentation

We describe our technique for the surgical removal of hyphema using the Ocutome vitrectomy system and report the results in 12 patients. Blood was removed successfully with just one operation in all 12 eyes. Eleven of the 12 eyes maintained intraocular tension of less than 20 mm Hg. Vision improved in 11 of 12 eyes and six had a vision of 6/18 or better. Permanent vision loss could not be attributed to the operative technique.

Influence of tranexamic acid and acetylsalicylic acid on the thickness of the normal cornea

In a masked cross-over study ten normal subjects were treated with tranexamic acid and acetylsalicylic acid one g three times daily for seven days. The central corneal thickness. was found to increase in response to acetylsalicylic acid and to decrease in response to tranexamic acid. This finding provides evidence for the involvement of the fibrinolytic system in the regulation of the normal corneal thickness. The endothelial morphology, as seen with the specular microscope, was unchanged during treatment with either drug.

Traumatic hyphema. Pathogenesis and management

Traumatic hyphema is a potentially serious problem, but the overall prognosis is good unless associated injuries are severe. Medical treatment is of little value for hyphema itslef but is useful for complications. Surgical treatment is hazardous and should be resorted to only in select circumstances. Severly of injury is more important than is treatment in determining the outcome. Practitioners should not feel obliged to use ritualistic therapy that they consider to be of uncertain value.