Introduction
Subconjunctival hemorrhage (SCH) is acute bleeding with sharp borders underneath the conjunctiva. It is often a cause of concern in patients and is therefore one of the most common reasons for referral to ophthalmology clinics from primary care[1,2]. It is usually unilateral and the region and size of the bleeding vary according to the etiology. Fukuyama et al reported the incidence of SCH as 2.9%[3]. Although the most common cause for SCH is trauma and contact lens-induced injury in younger patients, among older patients it is mostly associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and anticoagulant usage [4,5]. Despite all these reasons, the cause of most cases remains unexplained. Bleeding disorders are frequently reported to play a role in the etiology of SCH, but few studies have investigated the prevalence and clinical significance[3]. In addition to anticoagulant and antiaggregant usage, immune thrombocytopenia and congenital bleeding disorders have been reported in a few studies as hemostatic alterations at the etiology of SCH [6-9].
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of congenital or acquired bleeding disorders in patients with once or recurrent SCH and to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with SCH presenting to Ophthalmology Division.