title: Vitreous fluorophotometry in aphakic or pseudophakic eyes with persistent cystoid macular edema.
abstract: By vitreous fluorophotometry, the degree of disruption of the blood-vitreous barrier was studied in 16 aphakic or pseudophakic eyes with persistent cystoid macular edema (CME) and 11 aphakic or pseudophakic eyes without CME; postoperative periods ranged from 7 to 22 months in both groups. The rate of fluorescein penetration into the vitreous was determined within 30 minutes after intravenous injection. It represented the permeability of the blood-vitreous barrier and averaged 10.28 +/- 4.52 (SD) X 10(-6) min-1 in eyes with CME and 3.05 +/- 1.21 X 10(-6) min-1 in eyes without CME; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P less than 0.002, Student t-test). The peak fluorescein concentration in the mid-vitreous (Cv) was determined and the concentration of free fluorescein in the blood serum (Cs) at the corresponding time was also estimated: the Cs/Cv ratio represented the balance between the inward and outward transport of fluorescein across the blood-vitreous barrier. The Cs/Cv ratio was 7.91 +/- 2.94 in eyes with CME and 12.91 +/- 3.68 in eyes without CME: the difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). In 6 eyes with the Cs/Cv ration of 5.0-9.2 the condition of CME deteriorated or remained unchanged during the follow-up of 4-8 months, but in 4 eyes with the ratio of 9-14.2 CME showed an improvement during the same period. In 3 eyes with vitreous tug syndrome, anterior vitrectomy improved the ratio from an average of 4.8 to 17.4. It was concluded that a functional disturbance of the blood-vitreous barrier underlies the development of persistent CME.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001036:Aphakia, Postcataract / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005470:Fluorometry; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010539:Permeability; D010781:Photography; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005452:Fluoresceins; D019793:Fluorescein