Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in the treatment of suprachoroidal hemorrhage

• Main Authors: Nancy Kunjukunju, Christine R Gonzales, William S Rodden
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2011-02-01
• Series: Clinical Ophthalmology
• Online Access: http://www.dovepress.com/recombinant-tissue-plasminogen-activator-in-the-treatment-of-suprachor-a6215

Nancy Kunjukunju1, Christine R Gonzales2, William S Rodden21Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana; 2Retina and Vitreous Center of Southern Oregon, Ashland, Oregon, USABackground: Suprachoroidal hemorrhages are a vision-threatening complication, and poor visual outcome is correlated with increasing hemorrhage complexity. The recommended time of surgical drainage is 10–14 days after the hemorrhage begins to liquefy. We describe a case in which recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA), alteplase, is injected within the suprachoroidal space before surgery to assist in the drainage of an organized clot prior to liquefaction. This is a report of a technique in which r-tPA is used in the intrachoroidal space to target the organized clot of suprachoroidal hemorrhage prior to drainage.Case report: A 62-year-old male presented 12 days after retinal detachment repair with sudden ocular pain and vision loss after a Valsalva maneuver. Vision was light perception only, and intraocular pressure was 43 mmHg. Diagnosed with hyphema and suprachoroidal hemorrhage, the patient underwent surgery the following day. An injection of r-tPA 100 µg was given intracamerally, and an additional dose of r-tPA 100 µg was injected into the suprachoroidal space prior to surgery. Liquified by r-tPA, the clot was expressed through the sclerotomies. Best corrected vision in the eye eight months after the drainage procedure was 20/40.Conclusion: To the author’s knowledge, this is the first reported case in which r-tPA was successfully injected in the suprachoroidal space to liquefy and drain a suprachoroidal hemorrhage prior to natural dissolution.Keywords: tPA, suprachoroidal hemorrhage, vision loss