Vitreous variation in vitreous fluorophotometry

Clinical vitreous fluorophotometry is a technique used to evaluate the early breakdown of the blood-retina barrier, which is often seen in diabetic retinopathy. However, the test does not take into account the possibility of individual variations of fluorescein diffusion in the vitreous body. This study undertook to follow the diffusion of a fluorescein solution in 20 different bovine vitreous bodies in a laboratory setting. The results showed a broad distribution of fluorescein diffusion in the sampled population. By statistical analysis, at least three subgroups, differing with respect to the fluorescein dye diffusion pattern, were identified. Further experiments suggest that variation in hyaluronic acid structure in vitreous bodies might account for these differences.