The Effects of Surgical Intrvention on Experimental Subretinal Hemorrhage in the Rabbit

Park, Young Hoon; Hahn, Seung Wook; Hahn, Duk Kee

Abstract

In order to simulate the hemorrhagic detachment stage of disciform macular degeneration, fresh blood was injected into the subretinal space of albino rabbits. In control group, the natural course of subretinal hemorrhage was studied with the ophthalmoscope and by electron microscopy. In experimental group, to study the effect of surgical intervention of the subretinal hemorrhage, a retinotomy was performed at the edge of the detached retina and the subretinal blood was removed by aspiration. And then the histopathologic change of the retina was exam ined by electron microscopy in both groups preceded by the ophthalmoscopic examination. In control group, between 12 hours and 4 days, there was partial damage of the photoreceptor cells characterized by destruction of the outer segment and swelling of mitochondria of the inner segment. In seven days after injection, irreversible retinal destruction was observed. In experimental group, two days after removal of subretinal hemorrhage in two hours following subretinal injection of blood, the outer segment was lost and destructed. Two days after removal of subretinal hemorrhage in five days following subretinal injection of blood, hydropic swelling and vacuolization of visual cells were characteristic. However there was no significant difference in the histopathologic change of retina between two groups.