Photodynamic retinal vascular thrombosis. Rate and duration of vascular occlusion.

Dye-sensitized photochemical thrombosis is a new method of producing vascular occlusion in the eye for experimental purposes. The rate and duration of photodynamic occlusions of branch retinal vessels was measured in pigmented and albino rat eyes after intravenous injection of the photosensitizing dye, rose bengal. Selected vessels were exposed to focused, white light until vascular occlusion was observed biomicroscopically. A slit lamp was used for a light source in this procedure, allowing adjustment of spot size, shape, and orientation. Arterioles occluded more rapidly than venules, and the time required to produce vascular occlusion decreased when animals breathed pure oxygen administered by face mask. Rose bengal doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg were effective, 20 mg/kg was partially effective, and 1 and 10 mg/kg were ineffective in producing branch arteriole occlusion at a light intensity of 73.5 mW/cm2. The total light energy required to produce occlusion increased from an average of 0.06 J using 80 mg/kg to 0.50 J using 20 mg/kg of rose bengal. Lower light intensities produced vessel occlusion less rapidly (46 mW/cm2) or not at all (17.5 mW/cm2). The rate of retinal arteriolar occlusion was not affected by ocular pigmentation. The duration of branch vessel occlusion depended on length of vessel treated and did not exceed 3 days in arterioles and 4 days in venules. Histologic sections showed discrete areas of retinal and choroidal vascular thrombosis confined to the area of direct light exposure. Choroidal vascular thrombosis and outer retinal damage predominated in eyes treated at low light intensity. Thrombosis usually extended into the deep choroidal vessels in albino but not pigmented eyes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)