Intracameral recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for the treatment of severe fibrin reaction in endophthalmitis

Abstract

The authors sought to evaluate the efficacy of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA) in the treatment of severe fibrinous anterior chamber reactions secondary to endophthalmitis. Twelve patients with endophthalmitis associated with severe fibrinous anterior chamber reactions were enrolled in the study. Various degrees of posterior synechiae were noted in 10 of these patients. TPA (25 microg/0.05 cc) was injected into the anterior chamber through the limbus as an adjunctive treatment to intravitreal antibiotic injection. Efficacy of the treatment was judged by the rate of fibrinolysis, the lysis of posterior synechiae, and the size of the dilated pupil. After application of 25 microg of r-TPA, the fibrin reaction gradually resolved in 2-14 h. The median dilated pupil size in ratio 24 h after r-TPA injection was significantly larger than before r-TPA injection (0.41 vs 0.60; P=0.002). The median difference in pupil size in ratio in patients with posterior synechiae larger than 180 degrees was significantly larger than those with posterior synechiae equal or less than 180 degrees (0.32 vs 0.09; P=0.003). At 24 h after application of r-TPA, no eye had posterior synechiae. Intracameral injection of r-TPA may be a safe and effective method for the treatment of significant fibrin reaction in endophthalmitis and thus facilitates vitreous and fundus examinations and vitrectomy if necessary.