Outcomes of Vitrectomy for Non-Traumatic Non-Diabetic Vitreous Hemorrhage

Purpose: to determine the causes of non-traumatic non-diabetic vitreous hemorrhage(ndvh) and to report the visual and anatomical outcomes and complications ofvitrectomy for this condition.method: in a retrospective case series, records of patients who had undergonevitrectomy for non-traumatic ndvh over a ten year period at labbafinejad medicalcenter, tehran-iran with at least six months of follow up were reviewed for causes ofthe condition and outcomes of surgery.results: from 1993 to 2003, 50 eyes of 49 patients (51% male) with mean age of 62.7±10.3(range 35-87) years underwent vitrectomy for non-traumatic ndvh. preoperatively,mean best-corrected visual acuity (bcva) was 2.36±0.52 logmar and relative afferentpupillary defect was positive in 91.1% of the eyes. mean bcva increased significantly to1.38±0.72 logmar at six months (p<0.0001). causes of non-traumatic ndvh included:branch retinal vein occlusion (56%), central retinal vein occlusion (16%), choroidalneovascularization (12%) and posterior vitreous detachment with retinal break, eales’disease, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy and terson’s syndrome (each in 4%). themost common causes of poor visual outcomes were: macular pigmentary derangement(26%), optic atrophy (16%), severe lens opacity (12%) and epiretinal membrane (8%).conclusion: despite the significant increase in va following vitrectomy, irreversiblemacular or optic nerve pathology limits significant improvement in central visual acuityin several cases of non-traumatic ndvh. vascular accidents were the most commoncause of this condition.