After-cataract and secondary glaucoma in the aphakic infant rabbit.
OBJECTIVE
To study the association between after-cataract and secondary glaucoma after lensectomy and 5-fluorouracil treatment in an experimental infant rabbit model.


METHODS
St Erik Eye Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.


METHODS
Lensectomy was performed in both eyes of 16 3-week-old rabbits. One randomly selected eye in each rabbit was injected with 2.5 mg of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) at surgery and 5.0 mg the day after surgery to reduce the formation of after-cataract. Axial length, corneal thickness, corneal diameter, and intraocular pressure were measured preoperatively and 4 times during the 6 months following surgery. Six months after surgery, the wet weight of the after-cataract was determined.


RESULTS
In 16 aphakic eyes treated with 5-FU, no or a minimal amount (<0.001 g) of after-cataract developed. None of the eyes showed signs of secondary glaucoma. Of 16 aphakic eyes not treated with 5-FU, 10 developed considerable amounts of after-cataract (>0.10 g); 8 of these developed glaucoma. The other 6 eyes had no or minimal after-cataract and did not develop secondary glaucoma. The relationship between after-cataract and secondary glaucoma was statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
A significant relationship between the amount of after-cataract and the development of secondary glaucoma was found in aphakic infant rabbit eyes.
Kugelberg
U
U
St Erik Eye Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. ulla.kugelberg@ophste.hs.sll.se
Lundvall
A
A
Lundgren
B
B
Holmén
J B
JB
Zetterström
C
C
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000867:Anterior Chamber; D001036:Aphakia, Postcataract / Q000150:complications*; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007267:Injections; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology*; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D011817:Rabbits
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D005472:Fluorouracil