Complications by liquid plastics in ophthalmic surgery. Histopathologic study

Retrospective morphological studies of ocular tissues after treatment with liquid plastics reveal many complications induced by the material. Cyanoacrylates for punctal occlusion glide into the lacrimal sac and lead to obstructive dacryocystitis and even to reactive xanthogranuloma. The use of this glue in combination with a hard contact lens as 'artificial epithelium' provokes a remarkable stromal and endothelial cell loss of the cornea. Intraocular silicone oil sometimes induces a massive epiretinal macrophage activity with storage of the material or reactive fibrosis when it gets into the subretinal space. Liquid alloplasts for intraocular lens surgery of the future are tested in experimental studies but are still not satisfactory.

Nonuniform distribution of microspheres in blood flowing through a medium-size artery

Suspensions of rigid microspheres, varying from 7.5 to 80 μ diameter, were injected into the left ventricle or ascending aorta of five anesthetized rabbits. After injection, an exposed branch of the femoral artery was frozen ultrarapidly, then removed; after histologic preparation, serial cross sections were studied microscopically. The radial distribution of the spheres within the vessel lumen was uneven, with a progressively decreasing concentration peripherally. This appeared to be proportional to sphere diameter and extended too far in from the periphery to be explained by entrance effect only. Microspheres of 7.5 to 10 μ diameter had the radial distribution which most closely approached that of erythrocytes in these same arteries.