Effect of the Local Doxorubicin Injection on the Extraocular Muscle

Kang, Nam Yeo; Jeon, Ho Min; Park, Soo Chul; Park, Chan

Abstract

To investigate the chemomyectomy effect of doxorubicin on extraocular muscle, we injected 0.05ml doxorubicin into right superior rectus muscle for the experimental group and 0.05ml balanced salt solution into left superior rectus muscle for the control group of 12 rabbits. The gross and histologic examinations were done at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after the injection. The results were as follows; 1. On gross examination, thickness of muscle mass at injection site was decreased with the time in the experimental group, and neither conjunctival adhesion and symblepharon nor scleral necrosis was found in both groups. 2. On microscopic examination, the degree of muscle fragmentation and necrosis was increased with the lapse of time in the experimental group. But there was no observable change with the lapse of time in the control group. These results suggested that doxorubicin was such a selective myotoxin to extraocular muscles that it could be used for nonsurgical treatment of chronic paralytic and restricted form of strabismus.