| Past Issue | Volume 8, Number 4, August 2006 | | Bloody Tears Caused by Ocular Leech Infestation |
Assadollah Katbab, Vahid Ghassemifar, Mohammad Hossein Roozitalab
Department of Ophthalmology, Khalili Eye Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
A leech, Limnatis, was identified on the ocular surface of a man who presented with profuse ocular surface bleeding after washing his face in a stream. The leech was extracted after instilling topical tetracaine 0.5%. The bleeding stopped 10 minutes after application of a pressure patch. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed microperforation of the temporal bulbar conjunctiva with surrounding subconjunctival haemorrhage. Two days later, only a limited subconjunctival haemorrhage was apparent. Ocular leech infestation should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ocular surface bleeding or bloody tears, particularly for patients with a history of recent contact with water in a lake or stream.
Key words: Eye hemorrhage, Leeches
Asian J Ophthalmol 2006;8:164-5.
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