Spontaneous corneal perforation with expulsive hemorrhage.

A case of unilateral spontaneous corneal perforation with expulsion of intraocular contents is reported in an old woman with corneal ulcer and hypopyon. Spontaneous corneal perforation with extrusion of intraocular contents is a disastrous and exceptional event that may occur in premature infants or in adults with severe ocular diseases. It is probable that, during the evolution of the corneal ulcer in this case, the organisms had caused necrosis of the cornea, culminating in a corneal perforation followed by a rapid decompression of the anterior chamber with a resultant expulsive hemorrhage. Glaucoma, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension could play a role in the genesis of the expulsive hemorrhage.