Clinicopathologic study of eyes obtained postmortem from a patient 6 and 2 years after operative choroidal hemorrhage

We present the clinicopathologic features of a patient who developed bilateral choroidal hemorrhage during cataract surgery and who regained 20/30+ vision in each eye. Consequences related to the operative procedure and choroidal hemorrhage included iris and vitreous incarceration with inferior peripheral tractional retinoschisis, retained lens cortex, and an anterior capsule fragment lodged in the anterior chamber angle. A recent choroidal hemorrhage associated with a thrombosed vortex vein was observed in one eye. The favorable outcome was likely due both to preplaced sutures that allowed immediate tamponade of the hemorrhage and to the additional possible tamponading effect of an intact posterior capsule in the left eye. The possible role of venous stasis leading to vortex vein thrombosis as a cause of recent choroidal hemorrhage is discussed.