ABSTRACT
Progressive endothelial cell loss and endothelial cell loss induced at the time of surgery occurs in all eyes with rigid anterior chamber intraocular lenses (IOLs). Eyes with surgical tuck or late ovaling of the pupil following surgery have greater yearly rates of cell loss than eyes that have no complications. This progressive loss may be related to chronic uveitis from iris chafing by the implant or to direct mechanical damage to the corneal endothelium. We have demonstrated that fluorophotometry shows chronic damage to the blood-aqueous barrier in all eyes with rigid anterior chamber IOLs, but this does not correlate with the degree of endothelial cell loss. Our results suggest there is damage to the blood-aqueous barrier and to the corneal endothelium, but the damage to the latter influences progressive endothelial cell loss.
Subject(s)
Aqueous Humor , Cataract Extraction/adverse effects , Endothelium, Corneal/pathology , Lenses, Intraocular , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Biological Transport, Active , Cell Count , Cell Survival , Corneal Diseases/etiology , Female , Fluorescein Angiography , Fluorophotometry , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
We compared the integrity of the blood-aqueous barrier (BAB) between normal eyes and those with first-time rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) using the technique of anterior segment fluorophotometry. We found significantly greater anterior segment fluorescence in eyes with retinal detachment (p = less than .001) thereby demonstrating quantitatively for the first time that there is significant damage to the BAB associated with RRD. We have also shown that the BAB permeability returns to normal within two months of successful reattachment of the retina. The origin of this transient increase in BAB permeability is unknown but its severity and duration may well be of significance in the pathogenesis of complications associated with RRD such as uveitis, rubeosis and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
