Intraocular sulfur hexafluoride and octofluorocyclobutane. Effects on intraocular pressure and vitreous volume
F. P. Killey, H. F. Edelhauser and T. M. Aaberg
Partial vitrectomies were performed on rabbits and the amount of vitreous
removed was replaced with either 100% sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), 100%
octofluorocyclobutane (freon-C318), 40% SF6, or air. Intraocular pressure
and vitreous volume were determined. Replacing 40% of the initial vitreous
volume with either 100% SF6 or 100% octofluorocyclobutane caused an
increase over 20 mm Hg in the IOP with an associated loss of the remaining
vitreous, whereas replacement with 40% SF6 or air caused no significant
increase in IOP. Replacement with 40% SF6 caused a significant loss of the
remaining vitreous, whereas the air replacement did not result in a
vitreous loss. The experiments were repeated substituting only 20% of
initial vitreous volume with 100% SF6 and 100% octofluorocyclobutane. Using
this amount of SF6 and octofluorocyclobutane, the IOP did not increase but
an associated vitreous loss occurred equal to twice the amount of SF6
injected and three times the amount of octofluorocyclobutane injected.
