Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Apr 1;43(3):101-103.
doi: 10.1097/MPH.0000000000002077.

A Rare Case of von Willebrand Disease Presenting as Hemolacria and Literature Review

Affiliations
Review

A Rare Case of von Willebrand Disease Presenting as Hemolacria and Literature Review

Gunavathy Nandakumal et al. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. .

Abstract

Hemolacria is a rare condition that causes a person to produce tears that are partially composed of blood. It can be a presenting feature of certain ocular and systemic conditions. Here, the authors describe an interesting case of a 12-year-old boy with an underlying beta-thalassemia trait, who presented with a 2-day history of bilateral blood-stained tears, and an episode of epistaxis. Ocular examination was normal, and syringing showed no nasolacrimal duct blockage. Systemic examination was unremarkable. Laboratory investigations confirmed type 2 von Willebrand disease. Management of hemolacria remains a clinical challenge given the rare occurrence of the disease. In this case report, the authors discuss the differential diagnosis and management approach to hemolacria.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Calla PJ. Clinical assessment of bloody tears Coumadin monitoring. Clin Eye Vis Care. 1997;9:197–201.
    1. Acherjya GK, Ali M, Tarafder K, et al. Idiopathic haemolacria: a rare case report. J Med. 2019;20:106–108.
    1. Tripathy K, Salini B. Hemolacria. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls—NCBI Bookshelf; 2019.
    1. Bakhurji S, Yassin SA, Abdulhameed RM. Case report a healthy infant with bloody tears : case report and mini-review of the literature. Saudi J Ophthalmol [Internet]. 2018;32:246–249.
    1. James R, Bharadhi M, James J. Haemolacria in a 22-year-old boy. BMJ Case Rep. 2018;11:10–11.