We investigated the effect of panretinal cryotherapy on blood clearance and on the inflammatory cellular response in rabbit eyes with experimental vitreous hemorrhage. Eyes treated with cryotherapy demonstrated less extensive vitreous opacity and more rapid clearance of blood than untreated eyes. The peak inflammatory cellular response measured by counts or radiolabeled cells in the optic nerve was 2.5 times greater in the cryotherapy-treated eyes. Panretinal cryotherapy may promote the clearance of vitreous hemorrhage by stimulating the influx of increased numbers of phagocytic inflammatory cells.