Treatment for Intracorneal Hematoma by Anterior Chamber Gas Tamponade Combined With Keratocentesis

To report a new surgical method for intracorneal hematoma removal using combination of keratocentesis and gas tamponade in the anterior chamber. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical course and outcomes of surgical intervention. RESULTS: An 82-year-old woman visited our department because of a sudden decline in visual acuity (20/800 on the Snellen chart) in her left eye. We observed neovascularization from the superior corneal limbus and a hematoma near the Descemet membrane, deep in the stroma of the corneal center. Filtered air was injected into the anterior chamber, keratocentesis was performed at four locations from the corneal epithelium through the stroma, and the hematoma was removed from the puncture sites. The corneal hematoma disappeared, and the best-corrected visual acuity reached 20/20 at postoperative month 4. DISCUSSION: Combination of keratocentesis and gas tamponade in the anterior chamber is a simple and effective method for removing intracorneal hematomas.