Subconjunctival hemorrhage: The first presenting clinical feature of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Background: Subconjunctival hemorrhage as the first presenting clinical feature of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, to the best of our knowledge, has not been reported earlier. Case: A 60-year-old woman presented with an isolated finding of subconjunctival hemorrhage. She later developed hemorrhage from retinal vessels and had a single episode of hematuria. Observations: Her blood cell count showed an extremely low platelet count. Her medical history and clinical examination for any other systemic or ophthalmic pathology were negative. Even after treating the patient with blood and platelet transfusion and maintaining her on high doses of systemic steroids, she did not respond well. Conclusion: The appearance of spontaneous subconjunctival hemorrhage in a patient should be thoroughly investigated as it can be an initial sign of a grave systemic disorder. (C) 2003 Japanese Ophthalmological Society.