Pneumatic Displacement of Submacular Hemorrhage with Intravitreal Injection of SF6 Gas without Tissue Plasminogen Activator.

Ahn, Yong Suk; Lee, Sung Jin; Park, Songhee

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2003;44(12):2811-2815.
Published online December 1, 2003.

Pneumatic Displacement of Submacular Hemorrhage with Intravitreal Injection of SF6 Gas without Tissue Plasminogen Activator.

Yong Suk Ahn, Sung Jin Lee, Songhee Park

Department of Ophthalmology, Soonchunhyang University, College of Medicine, Korea. wismile@unitel.co.kr

tPA 없이 유리체내 SF6 기체를 이용한 황반하출혈의 기체이동술

안용석 ( An Yong Seog ) , 이성진 ( Lee Seong Jin ) , 박성희 ( Park Seong Hui )

Abstract

PURPOSE
To assess the efficacy and safety of intravitreal injection of SF6 gas for the displacement of submacular hemorrhage without use of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) METHODS: Three hundred microliter of pure SF6 gas 0.3 ml was injected into the vitreous cavity in 9 eyes with submacular hemorrhage involving the fovea because of myopic degeneration (3 eyes), trauma (3 eyes), age-related macular degeneration (2 eyes), macroaneurysm (1 eyes), branch retinal vein occlusion (1 eyes) and myopic degeneration (2 eyes) within 4 weeks after the onset of symptoms. The patients were instructed to maintain a prone position for less than 7 days. RESULTS: Initial visual acuity was ranged from hand motion to 0.2 and visual improvement was found in 7 eyes on the 7th day after the gas injection. On the 7th day after the gas injection, submacular hemorrhage was completely displaced in 2 eyes and slightly displaced with a reduction in the thickness of hemorrhage in 2 eyes. Transient elevation of intraocular pressure occured in 1 eye and was successfully controlled with medications. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal SF6 gas injection is simple and can displace submacular hemorrhage without use of tissue plasminogen activator in many cases with no serious complications.

Key Words: Pneumatic displacement;Submacular hemorrhage;tPA