Vitrectomy for nondiabetic vitreous hemorrhage. Not associated with vascular disease

Forty-nine consecutive eyes with nonclearing vitreous hemorrhage not associated with retinal or choroidal vascular disease underwent vitrectomy. Etiologies included vitreous hemorrhage during anterior segment surgery (22 eyes), blunt trauma (8 eyes), retinal tears with and without retinal detachment (8 eyes), Terson's syndrome (2 eyes), avulsed retinal vessel (1 eye), and idiopathic cases (8 eyes). The final visual acuity improved in 48 eyes (98%). Follow-up was 6-91 months (mean, 20 months). Of the 49 eyes, 40 eyes (82%) had a best postoperative visual acuity of 20/100 or better, 31 eyes (63%) had visual acuity of 20/40 or better, and 12 eyes (24%) had visual acuity of 20/20. The major complications included intraoperative iatrogenic retinal breaks (5 eyes), postoperative progressive cataract (7 eyes), late retinal detachment (4 eyes) and recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (2 eyes). The major complication associated with later visual loss was progressive cataract.