Floating cells in anterior chamber after IOL implantation

Following planned extracapsular cataract extraction (PECCE) and posterior chamber lens implantation in rabbit eyes, aqueous humor samples were aspirated on the 3rd and 7th postoperative days and examined by transmission electron microscopy. The controls were cells from the aqueous humor of eyes which underwent only PECCE. Six different types of cells, namely, erythrocytes (including ghost erythrocytes), polymorphonuclear leukocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes, eosinocytes and plasmacytes, were observed in the aqueous samples, the following results were obtained. 1) In one control eye there was no significant difference in the ratio of macrophages between the 3rd and the 7th postoperative days. 2) On the 3rd postoperative day there was a significant increase in the macrophage ratio between one IOL implanted eye and one control eye (P less than 0.1). 3) On the 7th postoperative day there was a marked increase in one IOL implanted eye in the frequency of macrophages compared to the 3rd postoperative day of the same eye and the 7th postoperative day of one control eye. It was concluded that the macrophages had a close relationship with a specific cellular response to IOL implantation.