Topical administration of the antineoplastic carmustine: tolerance of normal rabbit eyes

We evaluated the tolerance of ocular tissues to topical application of the anticancer agent 1,3 bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (carmustine, BCNU) in eight normal rabbit eyes. Early changes in the anterior ocular structures, including moderate to severe chemosis, lid swelling, and superficial punctate keratitis with epithelial defect and corneal edema, occurred within the first 36 hours. These changes subsided gradually following administration of Cortisporin ointment (polymyxin B-bacitracin-neomycin-hydrocortisone) in the eyes that received 1.0 mg of BCNU per day. In one of the two eyes given the 3.0-mg dose, corneal clouding with interstitial vascularization was still present 40 days after drug administration, despite Cortisporin treatment.