Blood-retinal barrier and autofluorescence of the posterior polar retina in long-standing pseudophakia.
OBJECTIVE
To study the physiological state of the retina in long-standing pseudophakic eyes using blood-retinal barrier (BRB) disruption and autofluorescence as parameters.


METHODS
Miyake Eye Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.


METHODS
This retrospective, case-controlled study sought to determine whether ultraviolet (UV)-light-filtering and blue-light-filtering intraocular lenses (IOLs) had different outcomes in severity of BRB disruption and autofluorescence of the posterior polar retina than clear (untreated) IOLs.


RESULTS
Mean sodium fluorescein transmittance in eyes with untreated IOLs was 3.7 ng/mL +/- 2.2 (SD) 3 years after surgery (n = 40) and 3.5 +/- 1.8 ng/mL 8 years after surgery (n = 18). In eyes with a UV-filtering IOL, the values were 2.4 +/- 1.5 ng/mL (n = 39) and 2.6 +/- 2.0 ng/mL (n = 14), respectively. Eyes with a UV-filtering IOL had significantly lower transmittance (P < .01-< .05). Mean transmittance 5 years after surgery was 4.2 +/- 1.9 ng/mL in eyes with an untreated IOL (n = 31), 3.2 +/- 2.1 ng/mL in eyes with a UV-filtering IOL (n = 30), 2.8 +/- 1.9 ng/mL in eyes with a Menicon blue-light-filtering IOL (n = 20), and 2.6 +/- 1.8 ng/mL in eyes with a Hoya blue-light-filtering IOL (n = 21). The eyes with a UV-filtering and the blue-light-filtering IOLs had significantly lower transmittance than those with an untreated IOL (P < .01-< .05); the eyes with a Hoya IOL had a statistically lower mean than those with the UV-filtering IOL (P < .05). Mean autofluorescence was 44.9 +/- 6.8 (n = 14), 49.5 +/- 6.1 (n = 6), 53.0 +/- 11.9 (n = 15), and 64.5 +/- 13.2 (n = 7) at 1, 4, 9, and 14 years after surgery, respectively; there was a significant difference between 1 and 9 years and between 1 and 14 years (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Eyes with a UV-filtering or blue-light-filtering IOL had a lower incidence of BRB disruption than eyes with an untreated IOL. Autofluorescence increased with age, even in eyes with UV-filtering IOLs.
Miyake
K
K
Shohzankai Medical Foundation, Miyake Eye Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Ichihashi
S
S
Shibuya
Y
Y
Ota
I
I
Miyake
S
S
Terasaki
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001813:Blood-Retinal Barrier / Q000502:physiology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000378:metabolism; D005453:Fluorescence; D015590:Fluorophotometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D003287:Contrast Media; D019793:Fluorescein