The antiproliferative properties of a single intravitreous injection of BCNU lsqb;carmustine; 1,3-bis(2 chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourearsqb; dissolved in 1 ml of medical grade, 1,000-centistoke silicone oil were evaluated in a rabbit model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). 10 micro;g and 15 micro;g of BCNU in 1 ml silicone oil resulted in a 46percnt; and 27percnt; reduction in the incidence of retinal detachments, respectively. Chi-square tests showed a significant statistical difference (P 0.05) between the control and treated groups. However, histopathologic examination of the eyes injected with BCNU and silicone oil indicated some retinal disorganization even at the lower therapeutic levels. With a therapeutic index of 1.0, BCNU in silicone oil has a low margin of safety for treatment of PVR. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that silicone oil when used for retinal tamponade in PVR may be the vehicle for delivery of a lipophilic antiproliferative agent.
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