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Treatment
The objectives of hyphema treatment involve containing the inflammation and removing the underlying causes which contribute to bleeding in the anterior chamber of the eye.
The common approaches to treatment are:
- Use of corticosteroids as eye drops or ointment to cure inflammation arising out of the bleeding
- Atropine eye drops to dilate the pupil, which minimizes sticking between the lens and the iris
- Initiation of appropriate treatment for ocular deficiencies like retinal abnormalities (i.e., dysplasia), glaucoma, etc.
Surgery may also be necessary for correcting traumatic injuries and lesions.
Your cat's activity will need to be restricted if the problem has been caused by a clotting disorder, since clots can quickly become fatal with movement of blood through the arteries. In addition, if hyphema has significantly damaged your cat's vision, the cat should not be allowed to go outside without close supervision. Regular monitoring of the fluid pressure within the eye is also very important - daily for severe diseases and in less severe cases, every two to three days until it clears up. To prevent further injury to the eye, your veterinarian can provide you with an Elizabethan collar, so that your cat cannot scratch at its eye.
Unless irreversible damage has been caused to the ocular structures, the prognosis is usually good in cases of eye trauma. If retinal detachment has occurred, secondary glaucoma will eventually develop, and surgical intervention may be necessary for the relief of pain.
platelet
A cell that aids in clotting
ocular
Anything having to do with the eye
lymphoma
A term for a type of neoplasm that is made up of lymphoid tissue; these masses are usually malignant in nature
prognosis
The prediction of a disease’s outcome in advance
systemic
Something that is related to the whole body and not just one particular part or organ
vasculitis
Any inflammation of a blood vessel or lymph.
uveitis
A medical condition in which the uvea becomes inflamed.
iris
The colored layer around the pupil
hemorrhage
Extreme loss of blood
dilate
To make something wider
aspirate
a) inhaling b) getting out fluid or gas by the act of sucking.
anterior chamber
Veterinary term used to indicate the space behind the cornea of the eye and in front of the iris; contains liquid.
dysplasia
A condition in which growth and development are not up to normal standards
edema
The collection of fluid in the tissue
anterior
In veterinary terms, used to refer to the front of the body.
glaucoma
A disorder that has resulted from intraocular pressure
hyphema
Hemorrhage into the back of the eye