ABSTRACT

Hyphema is traditionally considered as a benign condition by ophthalmologists and expected to disappear within a few days. However, hyphema developing after blunt trauma may be potentially sightthreatening in some cases. Vision-threatening complications of traumatic hyphema are well known in blacks and children with hemoglobinopathy. This report describes a previously healthy case who had marked elevation of intraocular pressure due to a minimal hyphema resulting from blunt trauma, and we emphasize that sickle cell trait hemoglobinopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of traumatic hyphema in also white adults.