A Prospective Observational Study on Vitreous Haemorrhage from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern India

Introduction: Blood within the vitreous cavity is referred to as Vitreous Haemorrhage (VH). VH is one of the most frequent conditions that present to the emergency room and is a major cause of painless visual loss . Aim: To evaluate the various aetiologies, management strategies, and outcomes following treatment in patients with VH. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at the Ophthalmology Department from August 2023 to August 2024 for a period of one year at Great Eastern Medical School and Hospital, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Newly diagnosed cases of vitreous haemorrhage in patients over 35 years of age were included in the study and those with a history of retinal detachment were excluded. A detailed history regarding the aetiology of the VH was taken, and a complete ocular examination was performed. Necessary investigations were conducted. Treatment was administered according to the cause of VH, and this was noted. Follow-up was conducted for a three-month postoperative period. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Packages of Social Sciences (SPSS) software and Microsoft Excel. Results: The current study included 21 patients with a total of 23 eyes. The largest group of patients was in the age range of 45 to 50 years (42.85%), with a mean age of 54.38±3.438 years. Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) was determined to be the most frequent cause, seen in 11 patients (52.38%), followed by Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO), seen in 5 cases (23.80%). Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) injections were the most commonly used treatment method, administered in 10 (43.47%) of the 23 eyes. Other treatment options included observation, laser photocoagulation, and Pars Plana Vitrectomy (PPV). Preoperative visual acuity was <1/60 to Perception of Light (PL) + in 12 (52.17%) cases, while in the postoperative follow-up, the majority of patients (20 cases, or 86.94%) were in the visual acuity group of 6/6 to 6/60. Conclusion: In the present study, the most common cause of vitreous haemorrhage was found to be PDR. Early diagnosis and timely intervention for VH lead to good visual prognosis.