This 5 year old Cavalier King Charles spaniel presents with blood in the anterior chamber of an eye which the owner reports has been blind since birth. What might your differentials for the hyphaema in such a case be?
Trauma, a systemic coagulopathy or uveitis could be potential differentials as could an intraocular tumour. I used an ultrasound scan to look for the latter and was surprised to find this appearance. Interestingly the normal fellow eye has a persistent hyaloid remnant and the likelihood is that this has haemorrhaged in the affected eye giuving the hyphaema. This cause of hyphaema has been reported in three dogs in the last few years (Bayon et al (2001)Ocular complications of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous in three dogs. Veterinary Ophthalmology 4:35-40)