SUMMARYWe present four cases of acute blurred vision that presented to the Ophthalmology Emergency Department of University Hospital Waterford. All four patients were found to have a spontaneous hyphaema with neither neovascular cause nor traumatic history. The pathophysiology was initially uncertain. On closer investigation, these patients were found to have rare iris microhaemangiomas (IMs) or Cobb's haemangiomas. They were all treated conservatively and made full recoveries. Though some reports recommend treating IM prior to intraocular surgery, one of these patients proceeded to have uncomplicated cataract surgery at a later date with no need for prior intervention. BACKGROUND

By facilitating direct listing of some of the surgical patients to the hospital theatre list, 89.8% of the 996 referrals received treatment without needing to attend the hospital outpatients department.