[Valsalva's maneuver: not always benign].

Five cases are being discussed here, where an apparently harmless Valsalva manoeuvre caused different clinical manifestations in the eyes: a large central preretinal hemorrhage, diffuse retinal hemorrhages, a Purtscher retinopathy and a blindness associated with a haematoma of the upper and lower lid of the right eye, probably caused by bleeding in the sheeths of the optic nerve. It is important to note that a Valsalva manoeuvre can cause different manifestations in the eye, apart from the known small premacular haemorrhage. Since the Valsalva manoeuvre is a common phenomenon, one should keep it in mind when observing unclear ocular findings.