[Retinal damage by perfluorocarbon liquids - a question of specific gravity? Intraocular pressure peaks and shearing...

Perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCL) cause retinal damage when used as long-term ocular endotamponades. Whether these changes are related to the mechanical or to the chemical properties of PFCL is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pressure spikes or shearing forces during endotamponade with PFCL and standardised eye movements.

Part 1: In an eye model the resulting pressure forces of 6 PFCL were measured at four different sites during standardised eye movements. Part 2: Shearing forces were determined in a plexiglass eye model and the resulting tangential forces at the PFCL-retina interface were calculated. Part 3: Rabbit eyes were vitrectomised and filled with light and heavy fluorocarbons for 6 weeks. Subsequently, the retina were examined histologically and by immunohistochemistry.

With increasing filling of the eye model, the maximum of the pressure peaks moved from the inferior wall of the eye model to the lateral eye walls. For perfluorodecalin (PFD) the highest pressure peak was 407 Pa with a 75 % filling of the vitreous cavity. The lowest pressure peak was 314 Pa with a 50 % filling of hexafluoropropene oxide. Shearing forces for standardised accelerations were dependent on viscosity and ranged between 0.87 mN/m(2) (perfluorohexyloctane) and 8055 mN/m(2) (hexafluoropropene oxide). Part 3: Histological and immunohistochemical analyses did not reveal pressure-related damage or any difference between the effects of the different tamponades in vivo.

In comparison with physiological dynamic and static pressure peaks, the measured mechanical forces induced by intraocular PFCL tamponades are low. Specific gravity and mechanical damage by intraocular PFCL as a cause of retinal damage seem unlikely. Animal studies underline these findings.