Inflammation due to surgical glove powders in the rabbit eye

Z. A. Karcioglu, A. J. Aran, D. L. Holmes, Z. Kapicioglu and J. Lopez
Department of Ophthalmology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112.

Inflammatory anterior chamber reactions secondary to contamination by talc, absorbable dusting powder (ADP), and a combination of these powders were studied in rabbits. These common surgical glove powders were introduced into the anterior chambers of 30 animals, and structural changes were observed on days 1 and 3, and at weeks 1, 4, 8, and 12. Our findings indicate that the combination of talc and ADP causes a substantially more acute inflammatory reaction than either agent used individually. Chronic granulomatous inflammation was more severe in the group that received ADP plus talc than in the group that received talc only.