[Practical advice for recovery and successful processing of anterior chamber puncture and vitrectomy samples]

For the diagnosis of unclear intraocular inflammation which threatens visual acuity and does not respond to therapy, the collection of intraocular fluid from the anterior chamber or the vitreous body is sometimes required. After surgery the correct and speedy processing of the rapidly degrading fluid determines the quality and reliability of the laboratory results. This article describes the different steps which are important after surgery to ensure optimal results for the different diagnostic laboratory procedures. If specimens are to be sent to cytology or microbiology laboratories, processing directly after surgery is necessary, while material which has to undergo PCR analysis, should remain untreated.