Measurement of vitreous oxygen tension in human eyes

The vitreous oxygen tension in the human vitreous body was measured using a polarographic oxygen electrode during vitreous surgery. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time these measurements have been taken in the human eye. The vitreous oxygen tensions in the anterior peripheral vitreous body, central vitreous body, and posterior vitreous body were 16.7 +/- 3.7 mmHg (mean +/- SD, n = 9), 15.9 +/- 2.8 mmHg and 19.9 +/- 4.8 mmHg, respectively. The preretinal oxygen tensions over the detached retina and detached macula were 30.0 +/- 4.8 mmHg (n = 5) and 15.3 +/- 2.1 mmHg (n = 3), respectively, with the latter significantly lower than the former (P less than 0.01). In one case, after inhalation of 100% oxygen the oxygen tension over the retinal scar resulting from cryoretinopexy in a previous retinal detachment surgery increased remarkably to 160 mmHg.