Expulsive hemorrhage: report of five cases.

Five cases of expulsive hemorrhage occurring over a period of one year were reviewed. Two cases occurred during a trabeculectomy procedure. There appear to be multiple factors playing a role in the etiology of expulsive hemorrhage. There was not a single common factor among these 5 cases, except for the conjectural presence of some kind of vascular disease. However, there were some important factors that may have played a role such as glaucoma, hypertension, vascular disease, and general anesthesia (and sudden decompression of the globe).