Intraocular copper foreign bodies. Use of dexamethasone to suppress inflammation.
In an attempt to prevent the intense inflammatory response to intravitreal copper foreign bodies in the rabbit eye, varying dosages of dexamethasone sodium phosphate were administered daily via the subconjunctival route. The steroid appeared to behave systemically and had similar effects in both the injected and the noninjected  eyes. Its effect was similar also regardless of the concentration of copper within the foreign body. Nine days of dexamethasone therapy prevented a substantial number of copper foreign  bodies from becoming totally encapsulated during that time. Furthermore, a delay in the onset of the inflammatory response to the foreign body was noted. In a few instances, inflammation was completely suppressed during  the entire course of therapy.
D000497:Alloys; D000818:Animals; D003228:Conjunctiva; D003300:Copper; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000473:pathology
D000497:Alloys; D003300:Copper; D003907:Dexamethasone