Treatment of experimental suprachoroidal hemorrhage with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator.

Suprachoroidal hemorrhages were created in 15 albino rabbit eyes by injecting 0.1 cc of autologous blood into the suprachoroidal space. One day later, 10 of these eyes were treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). Doses of 1 mg per kg were given to each rabbit over 2 to 3 hours by intravenous infusion. Five eyes served as control. The rate of clearance of hemorrhage was compared in the two groups. Average day of clearance was 14 days for the treated group, and 20.2 for the untreated control group. In this study, TPA given intravenously appears to accelerate the clearance of suprachoroidal hemorrhage.