類嚢胞黄斑部浮腫に対する高気圧酸素療法

Oxygenation under hyperbaric pressure for cystoid macular edema

　黄斑浮腫の認められた網膜静脈閉塞10症例，白内障手術（眼内レンズ挿入）後に合併した嚢胞状黄斑部浮腫（CME）2症例について高気圧酸素治療を施行した。2〜4週間の高気圧酸素治療により，CMEが認められた症例のみ視力の改善がみられた。また，そのうち半数の症例にCMEの再発増悪がみられた。

We treated 12 cases with cystoid macular edema (CME) with hyperbaric oxygenation. The CME developed secondary to branch retinal vein occlu-sion 8 cases, central retinal vein occlusion 2 cases, and extracapsular cataract extraction with poste-rior chamber intraocular lens implantation 2 cases.

The patients underwent total body hyperbaric oxygen treatment in a chamber set at 2 atmo-spheres for one hour once a day for a duration of 2 or 4 weeks. The visual acuity improved in 7 eyes in the series. Exacerbation of CME occurred in about 50% of the cases after discontinuation of oxygen treatment. The observed beneficial effect of hyper-baric oxygen seemed to be due to reduction of vascular hyperpermeability, activation of aerobic metabolism, and inhibition of inflammatory chemi-cal mediators.