Purpose: To report a breakthrough bleeding in the vitreous cavity due to deep venous thrombosis, in a case of a middle-aged male patient who suffered concomitantly from Fournier's gangrene. Fluorescent angiography imaging displayed the intravitreal hemorrhage as occurring.
Methods: We performed fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography at baseline and follow-up examinations.
Results: During fluorescein angiography we identified, right eye fluorescent blockage corresponding to a pre-retinal, a subhyaloid, and an intraretinal hemorrhage in the posterior pole. Capillary non-perfusion, and capillary remodeling of the far temporal peripheral vasculature was detected as well, the left eye was unremarkable. A breakthrough bleeding in the vitreous cavity of the upper temporal vein branch was caught as it was happening. We did not observe leaking at the macula; our findings were confirmed with optical coherence tomography throughout the follow-up period.
Conclusion: Active retinal bleeding has been reported only twice in the past, in these cases, it was attributed to superficial venous vessel rupture due to vitreous traction or Valsalva-like retinopathy at the site of neovascularization. Active retinal vein bleeding during a fluorescein angiography, secondary to deep venous thrombosis due to Fournier gangrene, has not been previously reported.
Keywords: Fournier gangrene; intravitreal hemorrhage; retinal bleeding; venous thromboembolism.