Effect of intracameral lidocaine anesthesia on the anterior segment of rabbit eyes.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of intracameral anesthesia on the anterior segment of rabbit eyes using chinese-made lidocaine.


METHODS
The study comprised eight eyes of four white rabbits which were divided into three groups according to the concentration of the lidocaine given. They are 0.5%, 1%, 2% lidocaine groups and balanced salt solution (BSS) control group. Each group contained two eyes. After 0.5 ml of the anesthetic agent was injected into the anterior chamber and retained there for ten minutes, the rabbits were executed and the eye balls were enucleated. Pathological examinations of the anterior segment, including cornea, iris and ciliary body, were carried out immediately.


RESULTS
The pathological study revealed no abnormal findings in lidocaine 0.5% and 1% groups compared with the control group, where as in the lidocaine 2% group, much abnormal pathological change was found, including the shrinkage of corneal endothelium, stroma edema of iris and ciliary body.


CONCLUSIONS
Using intracameral anesthesia of high concentration of chinese-made lidocaine would run a risk of damaging the anterior segment of rabbit eye. But at the low concentration usually used in cataract surgery, no adverse effect was found.
Yang
Hui
H
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Zheng
Danying
D
Zhang
Zhenping
Z
D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007498:Iris / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine