The effects of intraocular gases on rabbit blood-retinal barrier permeability

The effects of intravitreal expansile gases, sulfur hexafluoride and octafluoropropane, as well as air and needle insertion alone were assessed by iris fluorescein angiography and blood-retinal barrier permeability determination. Iris angiography, at 3 days after injection, indicated no differences between experimental and paired control eyes. Vitreous fluorophotometry on day 1, day 4 and day 7 after gas or sham injection also showed no differences between paired control and experimental eyes regardless of which experimental condition was employed. The results indicate that these gases are non-toxic to the blood-retinal barrier over a 7 day time course.