SUMMARY
A new perfluorochemical, Aflunox-®, was tested as a potencial vitreous substitute. This oil provides excelent thermal and chemical stability, having a specific gravity of 1,9 g/ ml and viscosities ranging from 68 to 1400 cts, depending on the variety used. The magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated that the product has very few contaminants.
Aflunox® was tested in the vitreous cavity of two groups of rabbits: group I underwent vitrectomy and injection with 1 ml of Aflunox®; group II. the control, underwent vitrectomy only. Animals were examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy and biomicroscopy every week for four weeks. At the end of this period, scotopic electroretinograms and fundus photographs were taken. The animals were then sacrificed and histopathological studies were performed. None of the tests above demonstrated any signs of ocular toxicity, when compared with the controls. These results indicate that Aflunox® may prove useful as a shortterm vitreous substitute.