Retinal hemorrhages associated with ocular decompression after glaucoma surgery.

Two cases of retinal hemorrhages in glaucomatous eyes associated with ocular decompression following glaucoma filtration surgery are presented. Both patients were young, healthy men with markedly elevated preoperative intraocular pressures (IOPs). The hemorrhages were blot shaped and scattered throughout the macula (including the fovea) in each eye that underwent surgery. One eye had hemorrhages with distinct white centers. Each eye that underwent surgery experienced a permanent decrease in visual acuity after resolution of the hemorrhages. A gradual decrease of IOP preoperatively and intraoperatively is recommended in order to avoid this complication.