title: Effect of intracameral anesthesia on the corneal endothelium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of intracameral anesthesia on the corneal endothelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study comprised 24 eyes of 12 white rabbits. One eye of 3 rabbits each was injected with preservative-free lidocaine at concentrations of 0.02, 0.2, or 2% and the fellow eye injected with balanced salt solution (BSS) as a control. The anesthetic agent was injected into the anterior chamber using a bimanual technique. Immediately after enucleation, the cornea was examined by scanning electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scanning electron microscopy revealed no abnormal findings in the eyes injected with lidocaine 0.02 or 0.2% when compared with eyes in the control group. Scanning electron microscopy of the eyes injected with lidocaine 2% showed irregular hexagonal endothelial cells and a significant loss of microvilli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intracameral anesthesia with high concentrations of lidocaine risks corneal endothelial damage but at the low concentration usually used in cataract surgery did not appear to have an adverse effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kadonosono
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yazama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishide
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohno
mesh_terms: D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000187:drug effects*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D008012:Lidocaine