Physicians at a leading Indian hospital treated a 25-year-old woman for an extraordinary episode of bloody tears coinciding with her menstrual cycle. Medical experts note that menstruation can occasionally provoke bleeding beyond the uterus.
Clinicians from the PGIMER institute in Chandigarh, India, detailed this remarkable case in BMJ Case Reports on March 9, 2021. The anonymous patient arrived at the hospital with blood flowing from her eyes while menstruating. She was diagnosed with hemolacria, an exceptionally rare condition with only a few documented cases worldwide. Typically associated with issues like inflammation, hypertension, tumors, or anemia, her symptoms were unique.
Notably, the bloody tears occurred at the onset of her period, happening twice monthly over several cycles. The doctors concluded this was vicarious menstruation, where menstrual blood is redirected to other body sites such as the nose, ears, skin, eyes, intestines, or lungs.
Experts explained that hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or lactation can affect eye tissue, altering corneal curvature and thickness. This likely triggered the hemolacria in this patient.
Comprehensive physical, ophthalmological, and radiological exams ruled out other potential causes. No underlying health issues were found, confirming an unprecedented link between menstruation and hemolacria—termed ocular vicarious menstruation. Treatment with oral contraceptives regulated her hormones, resolving the symptoms after three months.
This marks the first such case in recent scientific literature, per the authors, who call for further research to elucidate the mechanism.
