Complication associated with intravitreal injection of tissue plasminogen activator for treatment of submacular hemorrhage due to rupture of retinal arterial macroaneurysm

PURPOSE: To report the possible complications of intravitreal injection of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) for the treatment of submacular hemorrhage associated with retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM). OBSERVATIONS: A 75-year-old man complained of a sudden diminution of visual acuity in his left eye. Fundus examination of this eye revealed rupture of a RAM (0.5 disc diameters (DD) in size), submacular hemorrhage and hemorrhage under the internal limiting membrane (ILM). The patient had untreated hypertension and his systolic blood pressure was over 200 mmHg. Intravitreal injection of t-PA (42,000 units/0.07 ml) was given 1 day before undergoing vitrectomy. On the following day, the fundus was no longer visible because of a dense vitreous hemorrhage. After performing vitrectomy to remove the dense vitreous hemorrhage, we confirmed a marked increase in subretinal hemorrhage, and seemed to have markedly enlarged the macroaneurysm (6 DD). In addition, macular hole was found to have occurred. One week after surgery, the macular hole closed. Four months after surgery, best-corrected visual acuity improved from 20/400 to 20/40. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Untreated hypertension and the use of t-PA can cause re-ruptured RAM and deterioration of subretinal hemorrhage. In this case, a macular hole was also occurred. Since there are risks of various complications, it is necessary to be careful in the use of t-PA for RAM.