Hyphema is the presence of blood in the anterior chamber of the eye. It is an ocular finding that is most often associated with trauma to the involved eye. However, spontaneous and secondary hyphema must be considered, as their causes are more varied. Spontaneous hyphema can be due to neovascularization, such as diabetes, ischemia, and cicatrix formation, ocular neoplasms, such as retinoblastoma and medulloepithelioma, and vascular anomalies, such as juvenile xanthogranuloma. Systemic blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, and Von Willebrand disease can also produce spontaneous hyphemas. Most patients present with pain, blurred or lost vision, photophobia, and tearing. Glaucoma, both acute and long-term late-onset as well as optic atrophy, can occur with hyphema.
Codes
ICD10CM: H21.00 – Hyphema, unspecified eye
SNOMEDCT: 75229002 – Hyphema
Look For
Subscription Required
Diagnostic Pearls
Subscription Required
Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
To perform a comparison, select diagnoses from the classic differential