Intravitreal disappearance rates of four perfluorocarbon gases.

The disappearance rates of bubbles from the vitreous of rabbits were measured for four perfluorocarbon gases. The decay rate for each was found to be exponential and thus independent of the volume injected. Clinical observations indicated that the disappearance of the perfluorocarbon gases in patients also follows exponential decay, but that the half-lives are three to five times longer than in rabbits.