Hyphema increases the risk of which complication in horses?

• A. Secondary glaucoma
• B. Cataract
• C. Retinal detachment
• D. Increased tear production

Answer: (D)

When blood is present in the anterior chamber (hyphema), the main danger is blockage of the outflow pathway for aqueous humor. Red blood cells and inflammatory debris can clog the trabecular meshwork, causing a rise in intraocular pressure. That elevated pressure damages the optic nerve and can lead to secondary glaucoma, which is a common and urgent complication to monitor after hyphema in horses.

Cataract can develop with ongoing inflammation or lens involvement, but it’s not the immediate consequence of hyphema itself and tends to be a longer-term issue. Retinal detachment is associated with more extensive or posterior-segment injury rather than the acute anterior-chamber event. Increased tear production is not a typical progression specific to hyphema; tearing is more a surface irritation response and not a direct complication of the blood in the eye.

So the most important and likely complication to guard against after hyphema is secondary glaucoma due to impaired aqueous outflow and sustained elevated intraocular pressure.