Visual note - large vitreous hemorrhage in post mortem imaging

Abstract

The significance of vitreous hemorrhages detected after death, particularly in non-traumatic cases, currently seems largely unclear. This obscurity might arise partly because these hemorrhages may go undetected, especially when relying solely on traditional methods like external inspection and autopsy. In this case of an 80-year-old woman with a history of arterial hypertension, post mortem computed tomography (PMCT) showed intrabulbar findings indicative of a lateral vitreous haemorrhage of the left eye, which then appeared partly dark on susceptibility weighted post mortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMRI). PMMRI also identified a dislocated membrane suggestive of retina detachment. Dissection of the enucleated eye revealed a dark red gel-like mass, visually identified as clotted blood, and a retinal tear. The finding is discussed as possible consequence of arterial hypertension. Further investigations into the significance of post-mortem vitreous hemorrhages on imaging are warranted, especially in the context of potential early indicators of acute stroke.