title: Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene episcleral implants used as encircling scleral buckling. an experimental and histopathological study.
abstract: To investigate tissue changes induced by the implantation of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) used as encircling scleral buckling, an experimental and histopathological study was performed in rabbits. The eyes of 12 rabbits were implanted during 20-128 days with e-PTFE episcleral implants. Of these, 8 eyes were uncomplicated and enabled us to perform the histopathological study, 2 others were discarded for too short a time of implantation and, in 2 additional eyes, the episcleral implant was exposed with a wide conjunctival erosion. Surrounding the implant, a constant encapsulation was combined with numerous giant cells, forming a granuloma caused by irregularities of the implant outline. Its porous structure allowed a peripheral colonization by fibrovascular tissue. Scleral thinning and scleral invagination were the main scleral changes. No change of the conjunctiva made us suspect that a granuloma occurred before it was found histologically. The granulomatous changes did not seem to modify the apparently good experimental tolerance of the material after its implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fondation Opthalmologique Adolphe-de-Rothschild, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Korobelnik
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Hermies
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chauvaud
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Legeais
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoang-Xuan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Renard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000009:adverse effects; D015743:Giant Cells, Foreign-Body / Q000473:pathology; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene / Q000009:adverse effects; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D011817:Rabbits; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012590:Sclera / Q000601:surgery*; D012591:Scleral Buckling / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene