EYE CLINICAL STUDY IN SWINE CORNEA IMPLANT DOGS TREATED WITH 2-1 BETAMETHASONE DISSODIC FOSPHATE AND DISSODIC FOSPHATED/ACETATE DEXAMETHASONE

Abstract

Ten mixed breed dogs, with a 10 kg average weight, were selected at Centro de Zoonoses de Goiânia. After being examined and considered healthy the dogs were enumerated from 11 to 20 on their collars. Each animal had swine cornea implanted into the left eye. The swine cornea was obtained at Casa de Banha Caçula, a slaughterhouse, and conserved in humid chamber for a maximum 6 hour period. Before surgery, each animal received 4 mg dissodic fosphate/acetate dexamethasone IM and was instilled one drop of betamethasone dissodic fosphate and one drop of gentamicin sulphate, maintaining the ocular medication 4 times/day and the intramuscular medication once a week, until euthanasia. After xenografts being realized, each cornea was examined every 7 days using direct ophthalmoscope to analyse transparency, vessels new formation, episcleral and conjunctival vessels reaction, cornea thickness, depth and presence or absence of deposits into the anterior chamber. On day 7 clinical evaluation, all cornea xenotransplant eyes (100%) had lost transparency (++,+++), there was episcleral vessels reaction (P), anterior chamber depth was preserved (N), there wasn’t edema, as well as deposits (A) on anterior chamber. On day 14, with the loss of two corneas by “self-trauma”, the other dogs had their implanted corneas (80%) completely opaque (+++), with important ciliary reaction (P), edema (A); however, the anterior chamber integrity was preserved (N), without presence of deposits (A). With three more dogs euthanized between days 14 and 21, due to corticosteroids side-effects, the remaining dogs (50%) preserved their implants with the day 14 alterations until the end of this experience.