Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
A Reversible Silicon Oil-Induced Ocular Hypertension Model in Mice
Published on: November 15, 2019
Lipophilic substances in intraocular silicone oil
José Carlos Pastor Jimeno1, Enrique Rodríguez de la Rúa, Itziar Fernández Martínez
1Institute of Applied Ophthalmobiology, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain. pastor@ioba.med.uva.es <pastor@ioba.med.uva.es>
Purpose:
To examine intravitreal silicone oil samples for lipophilic substances, including cholesterol, fatty acids, and derived methyl esters.
Design:
Clinical interventional case series study.
Methods:
The study included 53 patients (53 eyes; mean age 57.6 years) who underwent removal of intravitreal silicone oil used for intraocular tamponade with pars plana vitrectomy for retinal detachment. The silicone oil was removed 8.3 +/- 5.7 months after pars plana vitrectomy and analyzed using gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector.
Results:
Cholesterol was present in all samples with a mean concentration of 65 +/- 32.3 microg/ml (95% confidence interval: 56.1 to 73.9 microg/ml). The concentration increased (P < .001) with the time of tamponade, and decreased (P = .003) with the age of the patients. Fatty acids along with derived methyl acids were detected in low concentrations in 49 samples (92.5%).
Conclusions:
Cholesterol and lipophilic acids accumulate in intravitreal silicone oil used in intraocular tamponade.
