Provoked iris ischaemia in the rabbit. II. Histochemical localization of sodium fluorescein.

The distribution of injected sodium fluorescein in the iris and ciliary body of albino rabbits was studied in normal animals and in animals subjected to different surgical procedures. The study was performed with two techniques: whole-mount preparations and the paraffin-section method on freeze-dried eyes. Fluorescein distribution showed marked changes after surgical procedures as a result of reduced blood perfusion. In normal iris vessels no penetration of fluorescein was observed. The permeability barrier was impaired if there were ischaemic conditions in the anterior segment. The results were compared with clinical and iris angiographic studies.