Loss of vision

My four year old niece was in a car accident, after which she had a full blood count taken, and was then diagnosed with ITP; i'ts now six weeks later, and she has lost vision in one eye.  The doctors are not yet sure what has caused this and if it wil be permanent.  Prior to this loss of vision, her mother noticed that her eye became very red (her child would also rub the eye a lot), and a day later the redness in the eye went away, though the eye colour darkened considerably.  It was then that the parents realised the child could not see from that eye.  The mother is wondering if this could be related to ITP; a scan was made in the eye which revealed that blood was covering the retina.  Do you think vision may be restored to this eye; and is the other eye in risk of being affected.

Many many thanks.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

All I can say is maybe. She should be under the care of a retina Eye MD that can follow the bleeding with ultrasound and see if the blood has to be removed.

I personally have not seen a patient with ITP that has had a vitreous bleed but its not all that common. I suggest you read the section on ITP on emedicine.

A good person to ask would be the hematologist that I'm sure has managed hundres of ITP cases. (ITP = idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura).

JCH MD

[Thanx]

Thank you for your response.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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