Does a small central Nd:YAG posterior capsulotomy improve peripheral fundal visualisation for the Vitreoretinal surgeon?

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effect of Nd:YAG capsulotomy for posterior capsular opacification (PCO) on visualisation of the peripheral fundus with scleral indentation. METHODS: Patients undergoing Nd:YAG capsulotomy for PCO were examined pre- and four weeks post- Nd:YAG capsulotomy. In order to give a quantitative measure of visualisation of the peripheral retina, a novel scalar measurement was developed. Changes in the degree of visualisation following Nd:YAG capsulotomy were calculated. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in fundal visualisation of the retinal periphery with scleral indentation following Nd:YAG capsulotomy (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Peripheral fundal visualisation with scleral indentation improves following a small central Nd:YAG capsulotomy. This finding is important in relation to the detection of peripheral pseudophakic retinal breaks, particularly in those patients deemed at high risk following Nd:YAG capsulotomy

Systemic and intraocular uptake of spantide, a tachykinin antagonist, following topical application to the rabbit eye.

Previous observations have indicated that topical application to the rabbit eye of tachykinin antagonists, including spantide, effectively prevents the miosis and the disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier consequent to ocular injury. The present study shows that spantide is taken up into the rabbit eye following topical application. This was established by determination of spantide in the aqueous humor by radioimmunoassay. The concentrations reached in the aqueous humor were those that could be expected to block tachykinin receptors. The elimination of spantide from the aqueous humor was found to be slow. From HPLC analysis it seemed that spantide in the aqueous humor is degraded to smaller products, predominantly spantide 5–11. Some of the topically applied peptide appeared in the general circulation. Here the rate of elimination was rapid by comparison. Very small amounts of spantide appeared in the cerebrospinal fluid after intravenous injection