RESUMO Perfluorocarbonos líquidos (PFCLs) são compostos com uma gravidade específica maior que a água e utilizados como adjuntos no tratamento cirúrgico de casos complicados de descolamento de retina. Trinta e dois coelhos pigmentados foram submetidos a vitrectomia com injeção de PFCL dentro da cavidade vítrea: oito receberam perfluorotributilamino (PFTA); oito receberam perfluorodecalino (PFDC); oito receberam perfluoropoliéter (PFPE); os restantes oito olhos, que serviram de controle, receberam solução salina. Uma hora depois das injeções foi realizada troca PFCI/solução salina. Os animais foram então sacrificados, os olhos enucleados e processados para exames histológicos. À microscopia óptica nenhuma diferença significativa foi demonstrada entre os olhos com PFCLs comparando com os controles. A microscopia eletrônica revelou somente pequenas alterações, consistindo de alguns defeitos irregulares na forma dos segmentos externos dos fotorreceptores no grupo do PFDC. Estes fatos sugerem que o uso intra-operatório do PFTA, PFPE e PFDC, pelo menos em nosso modelo animal, não é associado com nenhuma patologia retiniana significativa.

ABSTRACT The perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCLs) are a group of compounds with a specific gravity greater than water that are used as an adjunct in the surgical management of complicated vitreoretinal diseases. Thirty-two pigmented rabbits underwent vitrectomy with injection of one of three PFCLs or saline into the vitreous cavity: eight eyes received perfluorotributylamine (PFTA); eight eyes received perfluorodecaline (PFDC); eight eyes received perfluoropolyether (PFPE); the remaining eight eyes, which served as controls, received saline. One hour after placement in the eyes the PFCLs were removed from the vitreous cavity and the eyes were filled with saline. The rabbits were then euthanized and the eyes enucleated and processed for histologic examination. Light microscopy demonstrated no significant difference between eyes with the PfCLs compared with those of control animais. Electron microscopy revealed only minor changes, consisting of a few irregulary shaped defects in the outer segment discs of photoreceptors, in the PFDC group only. These findings suggest that short-term intraoperative use of PFTA, PFPE, and PFDC, at least in this experimental animal model, is not associated with any significant retinal pathology.