Management of Terson Syndrome: Long-Term Experience in a Single Center

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Terson Syndrome (TS) is a rare entity consisting of an intraocular hemorrhage secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or intracerebral hemorrhage (IH). This study aimed to retrospectively describe the experience of the Ophthalmology Unit of Policlinico Gemelli, Rome, in the management of TS. Methods: Twenty-four eyes of 19 patients (10 males—53%; 9 females—47%; mean age of 44.73 ± 12.49 years) with TS who had pars plana vitrectomy between 2011 and 2024 were included. The primary outcome was the mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 1–3 months after surgery. The secondary outcome was the correlation of post-operative BCVA with the timing of vitrectomy (early vs. late, ≤100 or >100 days). Results: The time between diagnosis and surgery ranged from 33 to 284 days (median = 102 days, interquartile range IQR = 74–161). Baseline BCVA ranged from 6 to 50 ETDRS letters with a median of 17 letters (IQR = 15–25) and significantly increased after surgery, with a median value of 80 (IQR = 70–85). The BCVA percentage improvement had a median of 325% (IQR = 300–431%). No differences in post-operative BCVA were found between patients who underwent early or late vitrectomy. One vitrectomy was complicated by an endophthalmitis. Conclusions: Although no clear guidelines exist on managing TS, vitrectomy significantly improves BCVA, and a delay in surgical intervention does not necessarily worsen the functional outcome. However, an early vitrectomy could improve the stimuli perception, facilitating the rehabilitation process.

Keywords

• Terson Syndrome
• intraocular hemorrhage
• subarachnoid hemorrhage
• vitreous hemorrhage
• vitrectomy