To evaluate the effects of mitomycin C(MMC) on the fibrous capsule of the anterior chamber tube shunt to a surgical membrane(ACTSSM) surgery, 0.04% MMC solution was applied on the episclera for 5 minutes before ACTSSM surgery(group A, 9 rabbits). At postoperative 2, 4 and 8 weeks, 6 eyes of the 3 rabbits from each group were enucleated and light microscopic examinations of the fibrous capsules were done. In group A, fibrous capsules had many microcystic spaces and fibrous tissues between twofold surgical membranes were scanty. But in control group(group B, 9 rabbits), fibrous capsules showed higher density of fibroblast and less microcystic spaces than group A, suggesting low permeability of the fibrous capsule to aqueous humor. These results suggest that MMC may increase the success rate of the ACTSSM surgery.
Anterior Chamber* ; Aqueous Humor ; Capsules ; Fibroblasts ; Membranes* ; Mitomycin* ; Permeability ; Rabbits*

Cyclodialysis and ciliochoroidal detachment was performed in one eye of three rabbits and in one eye of another three rabbits respectively. 0.1 ml of 10% sodium fluorescein was injected intracamerally after aspiration of aqueous humor and the eyeball was enucleated between 30 minutes and one hour after sodium fluorescein injection and prepared for fluorescence microscopy. Sodium fluorescein concentration in supraciliary space was much greater in group with cyclodialysis or ciliochoroidal detachment than in normal control group. These results suggest that in the eye with cyclodialysis, aqueous humor may gain access freely to supraciliary space through the cleft between anterior chamber and supraciliary space and then is removed rapidly and in the eye with ciliochoroidal detachment, aqueous humor may pass through uveoscleral outflow pathway.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor* ; Fluorescein ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Rabbits

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the soluble Fas (sFas) levels in both sera and aqueous humor in patients with uveitis and compare them to the uveitis severity. METHODS: We measured the sFas levels in both sera and aqueous humor (AH) of patients (n=40) with uveitis and non-uveitis controls (n=27). The patients with uveitis comprised 24 Behcet's disease, 6 panuveitis, 5 anterior uveitis, 2 lens induced uveitis, 1 Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-disease, 1 sarcoidosis, and 1 retinal vasculitis. The severity of uveitis was determined by the Hogan's grading method (0~4 grade) at the time of sampling. RESULTS:The concentration of aqueous sFas in uveitis patients was significantly higher than that in nonuveitis controls, while there was no difference in the serum concentration of sFas between the two groups. In the paired samples of serum and AH, obtained simultaneously, the aqueous sFas levels were higher than serum Fas levels in patients with uveitis, whereas the non-uveitis controls displayed significantly lower sFas levels in AH than in the serum. The sFas levels in AH or serum were not different between Behcet's uveitis and non-Behcet's uveitis. However, in patients with Behcet's uveitis, circulating sFas strongly correlated with aqueous sFas, which was not so in those with non-Behcet's uveitis. Patients (n=29) with more active (grade> or =2) uveitis had significantly higher levels of aqueous sFas than those (n=11) with less active (grade<2) uveitis. After treatment with steroid and/or immunosuppressive agents, aqueous sFas levels were decreased in parallel with a reduction in the number of inflammatory cells in the anterior chamber. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of sFas were elevated in patients with uveitis and correlated well with uveitis severity.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Panuveitis ; Retinal Vasculitis ; Sarcoidosis ; Uveitis* ; Uveitis, Anterior

We observed the breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C by using laser flaremeter. There were 20 patients (25 eyes) of which 9 patients(11 eyes) were applied 0.02% MMC for 3minutes during the trabeculectomy and 11 patients (14 eyes) were not applied MMC. All patients were diagnosed as primary open angle glaucoma and underwent trabeculectomy. The preoperative, postoperative 1 day and 3 months aqueous flare intensity were 10.8+/- 5.05, 15.6+/- 5.32, 10.1+/- 4.55(photon count/msec)in group with MMC and 10.6+/-4.04,15.9+/-3.30, 9.2+/-3.94(photon count/msec) in group without MMC Anterior chamber flares were highest on the first postoperative day, declining rapidly in the first week with more gradual recovery to preoperative level by 1 month postoperatively, which shows the breakdown of blood-aqueous barrier by surgery. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in postsurgical aqueous flare intensity. 0.02% MMC does not appear.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor ; Blood-Aqueous Barrier* ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; Humans ; Mitomycin* ; Trabeculectomy*

There have been some reports about formation of free radical species in aqueous humor after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy(PRK). We investigated whether there exists an increase of nitric oxied(NO) level in aqueous humor after excimer laser treatment. Of the 41 albino rabbits(81 eyes) used for this study, 25 eyes served as controls. The remaining 56 eyes were divided into three groups, i.e., a group with its epithelium removed mechanically(3 eyes), -6.0D PRK group(24 eyes) and -12.0D PRK group(29 eyes). After varing time intervals following excimer laser treatment, aqueous NO concentration was determined with ELISA method using Griess reagent. The mean aqueous NO concertration was 101.83ng/ml in normal control group and showed no difference(107.00ng/ml) from that of mechanically abladed group, Aqueous NO was increased 30 min after PRK in both groups compared to normal(-6.0D : 218.67ng/ml, -12.0D : 198.68ng/ml) and maintained at one hour postoperatively. Eyes with -12.0D ablation still while eyes with -6.0D ablation showed no difference from normal. Six hours after PRK, aqueous NO was returned to the normal level in both groups of PRK. The results of this study showed that excimer laser PRK induced NO production in aqueous humor, and the more extensive amount of excimer laser applied, the longer time would be taken to restore the normal NO level. It seems that such an elevation of NO level could be one of the factors that cause temporary corneal stromal edema or anterior chamber reaction after excimer laser PRK.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor ; Edema ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelium ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Nitric Oxide*

During filtration surgery for glaucoma, the conjunctival incision site is sutured watertightly with a suture material like 10-0 nylon. However, this suture material may cause the infiltration of inflammatory cells, and the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts and collagen fibers at the junction of the conjunctiva and episclera. Subsequently, the arrangement of collagen fiber in episclera would be disrupted and the outflow of aqueous humor could be occluded. In the search for a more suitable suture material, the fibrin glue(Tisseel(R)) was introduced recently. It is claimed to be simple to use and safe, causes less damage and less inflammatory reaction than nylon. The authors used 10-0 nylon(control group) on the right eye and fibrin glue(Tisseel(R))(experimental group) on the left eye of a white rabbit's conjunctival suture. We compared and evaluated the clinical and histological effects of the suture material on the suture site as well as on the intraocular region. The results were as follows; 1. In the experimental group, conjunctival injection and chemosis were mild and disappeared rapidly. 2. The filtering bleb was macroscopically well formed and maintained from the third postoperative day in both groups, but, thereafter, it decreased in size in two cases of the control group. 3. There was no difference in the inflammatory reaction in anterior chamber in both groups postoperatively. 4. In the experimental group, there was loosening of the fibroblasts proliferation and lesser infiltration of inflammatory cells at the postoperative second and fourth week. And the arrangement of collagen fibers in episclera was intact. The above findings strongly suggest fibrin glue(Tisseel(R)) as a suture material in the filtration surgery of glaucoma is clinically promising.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor ; Blister ; Collagen ; Conjunctiva ; Fibrin* ; Fibroblasts ; Filtering Surgery* ; Filtration* ; Glaucoma ; Nylons ; Rabbits* ; Sutures

Endophthalmitis after cataract surgery causes a profound visual loss. In this study, we performed bacterial cultures from conjuncitival swab atthe beginning of operation and of aqueous humor at the end of operation in 213 uncomplicated cataract surgery to examine the kinds of microorganisms being able to induce an endophthalmitis. Among five positive cultures from conjunctival swabs, Staphylococcus aureus was positive in four cases and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was positive in one case. In bacterial culture of aqueous humor, two microorganisms were observed, in which one case was Staphylococcus epidermidis and the other was Proteus vulgaris. However, ther was no case showing bacterial positive concurrently of conjunctiva and aqueous humor. In addition, there was no case of endophthalmitis. With these results, we could find that various microorganisms existed in conjunctival surface and in aqueous humor. However, itseems to be under the control of self-defense mechanis suppressing an endophthalmitis postoperatively in case of intact posterior capsule. Nevertheless, cataract surgeons should be careful to avoid an endophthalmitis with meticulous aseptic technique forundesirable events.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor* ; Cataract ; Conjunctiva ; Endophthalmitis ; Proteus vulgaris ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis

Alteration of the chemical composition of aqueous humor may be closely related to the occurrence of glaucoma. Comparison of chemical composition of aqueous humor in glaucoma patients with that of the normal eyes is thought to be helpful in searching the pathogenesis and treatment modality of glaucoma. Concentration of 8 chemical components in the aqueous humor of cataract eyes as well as glaucoma eyes was analyzed and the differences between the two groups were searched by the authors. Subjects were 47 eyes of 47 cataract patients and 35 eyes of 32 glaucoma patients. During the operation 0.1-0.2cc of aqueous humor was collected by anterior chamber paracentesis and 10cc of blood was also drawn. In cataract patients, the mean values were Na+;145.2, K+;4.0, Cl-;123.7, HCO3-; 22.9 mEq/l, Ca++;6.6, Mg++;1.7, glucose; 48.2 mg/100 ml and ascorbic acid; 245.5 microgram/ml. In glaucoma patients, the mean values were Na+;142.1, K+;4.0, Cl-;126.0, HCO3-;17.6 mEq/I, Ca++;6.3, Mg++;1.9, glucose; 59.4 mg/100 ml and ascorbic acid; 227.5 microgram/ml. Aqueous glucose concentration was 55% of blood glucose level, and aqueous ascorbic acid concentration was 62 times higher than that in blood. Regarding the eight components in aqueous humor, no significant difference was found between cataract and glaucoma patients. Lack of significant difference in ascorbic acid levels between the two groups was thought to be due to the use of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors prior to glaucoma surgery.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor* ; Ascorbic Acid ; Blood Glucose ; Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors ; Cataract* ; Glaucoma* ; Glucose ; Humans ; Paracentesis

PURPOSE: To report the outcomes of clinical analysis on the negative culture rate of normal ocular surface flora and the anterior chamber penetration after the preoperative prophylactic use of 0.3% tosufloxacin ophthalmic solution. METHODS: From July 2010 to June 2012, 38 eyes of 38 patients who were scheduled to receive intravitreal injection or cataract surgery were examined for bacterial culture positive rate using conjunctival scraping. The patients were treated with 0.3% tosufloxacin eyedrops preoperatively 5 times a day for 2 days before surgery. After the treatment, the bacterial culture negative rate based on conjunctival scraping was assessed to evaluate the drug efficacy. Of the 38 patients, 19 had cataract surgery. The concentration of tosufloxacin at anterior chamber was assessed in the 19 patients. Additionally, any side effects from the drug were monitored during the treatment. RESULTS: Among the 38 eyes, 21 eyes showed a bacterial culture positive rate before treatment. After the drug treatment, the bacterial culture negative rate was 57.1% (12/21). Coagulase-negative staphylococci were most frequently cultured in 15 (39%) of the 38 eyes before treatment and the negative rate of bacterial culture was 86.7% (13/15) after treatment. Average antibiotic residue concentrations in aqueous humor was 0.050 +/- 0.038 microg/mL. No side effects from the drug were reported during the experimental period. CONCLUSIONS: Although the 0.3% tosufloxacin eyedrops were not effective in all bacterial strains and showed relatively low penetration rate into the anterior chamber, they were effective in some gram positive organisms, particularly in coagulase-negative staphylococci of normal ocular surface flora.
Anterior Chamber ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Aqueous Humor ; Cataract ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Ophthalmic Solutions

PURPOSE: To investigate the morphologic changes of anterior chamber angle and trabecular meshwork during development in human fetal eyes, 77 eyes was enrolled in this study. METHODS: The sequential development of iridocorneal angle and trabecular meshwork were examined using light microscopy in 77 eyes with a gestational age ranged from 7 to 40 weeks. RESULTS: It was found that the presence of openings in the anterior chamber angle lining and aqueous humor drainage was effective by 20~22 weeks of fetal life and intercellular gaps become larger and more frequent as development progresses. During the gestational age(28~30 week), the anterior ahamber was located at the middle of the trabecular meshwork. During the gestational age(32~38 week), the intertra-becular space was widen with the apparent presence of the Schlemm's canal. CONCLUSIONS: The arrest or abnormal differetiation during the gestational period may cause the dysfunction of aqueous humor outflow, to develop congenital glaucoma.
Anterior Chamber* ; Aqueous Humor ; Drainage ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Glaucoma ; Humans* ; Microscopy ; Trabecular Meshwork*