Experimental and clinical observations of the intraocular toxicity of commercial corticosteroid preparations.

We tested the vehicles of six different commercially available depot corticosteroids (Celestone Soluspan, Depo-Medrol, Decadron, Decadron L. A., Aristocort, and Kenalog) for possible toxicity when injected intravitreally. When tested on rabbit eyes, the Celestone Soluspan and the Depo-Medrol vehicles caused remarkable retinal degeneration with preretinal membrane formation or cataracts in their standard concentrations. Three other vehicles (Decadron and Decadron L. A.) caused localized retinal degeneration in twice the standard concentration. Thus, toxic effects can be caused by preservatives or inadequate osmolarity of the vehicles alone. The development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy in some cases of injections of intraocular depot corticosteroid can be explained by retinal necrosis and repair processes caused by these vehicles.