A Short Review on the Safety of Bromphenol Blue for Dye-Assisted Vitreoretinal Interventions

Bromphenol blue was approved for the intraoperative staining of the vitreous, epiretinal membranes, and internal limiting membrane of the retina several years ago. It has been marketed as a combined dye formulation of bromphenol blue (1.3 mg/mL) and brilliant blue G (0.25 mg/mL). So far, comprehensive information on preclinical and clinical safety data of bromphenol blue is lacking. A PubMed analysis of available literature was performed. Ten relevant publications on preclinical and clinical evaluations of bromphenol blue were found. It is striking that almost no safety data is available on the presently used clinical product. Current clinical use seems not completely be justified by scientific safety data.