The strange case of a child who cried “tears of blood” and left doctors stunned: learn about the rare eye condition he suffered from

Doctors were stunned by the bizarre case of a Bengaluru boy crying “tears of blood.” According to media reports, the boy was leaking streaks of blood from his eyes, which often worsened when he went to the toilet. The case, published in the journal BMJ Case Reportstells of a boy of about 10 years old who visited several doctors after he began bleeding from his right eye and right nostril. Although the tears did not hurt, they progressively increased.

“There was no history of recent trauma, bleeding from other mucosal surfaces, or psychiatric illness,” the doctors wrote in the journal.

Initial tests were inconclusive

According to the report, tests were inconclusive and no notable abnormalities were detected. In addition to perfect vision, doctors said the boy’s tear drainage system was also functioning well and there was no bleeding.

However, his condition worsened when he urinated.

Upon closer examination, the teen’s lower eyelid showed signs of maceration, a condition in which the skin cracks due to repeated exposure to moisture, and bleeding. “The patient was asked to urinate and obvious bleeding was observed in the right eye,” doctors said.

Diagnosis of arteriovenous malformation

Doctors said that after careful examination it was revealed that he was suffering from malformed blood vessels consistent with a vascular malformation, leading to a diagnosis of conjunctival arteriovenous micromalformation or AVM.

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a rare congenital vascular abnormality that causes symptoms such as tearing, blurred vision, and sharp pain. This condition is a vascular abnormality that can occur anywhere in the body, including the brain, face, and neck. According to experts, AVMs are characterized by tangles of poorly formed blood vessels that connect arteries directly to veins, bypassing the capillary system. This can result in the surrounding tissue not receiving enough oxygen.

Signs and symptoms of arteriovenous malformations

In addition to bleeding in the eye, some other symptoms of AVMs include:

According to the magazine, the boy underwent endovascular embolization (a procedure that fills or closes blood vessels to prevent bleeding or rupture) and managed to successfully treat his condition. Doctors said the boy only experienced mild pain and swelling in his eyelid after the operation.

When doctors checked on him two weeks after the operation, the boy had not experienced any further episodes of bloody tears and had only some minor scarring at the procedure site.