Mehdi Soltanifar, Jahanzeb Durrani.
To Determine the Efficacy of Tattoo Ink in Changing the Color of Rabbit?s Iris.
Ophthalmol Update Jan ;13(2):69-71.

Aim: To determine the efficacy of tattoo ink in changing the color of rabbits iris. Methods: The research was carried out on rabbit eyes. The dye used to change the color of the iris was the standard tattoo ink. Five different colors of tattoo ink were used and these include red, yellow, green, blue and brown. All the eyes underwent intra-ocular pressure measurement, The anterior chamber reaction and iris atrophy was assessed. A record of iris color was kept by serial photographs. After anesthetizing the rabbit a port was made at the limbus at the 12 o?clock position preformed tattoo ink was injected in the anterior chamber. The Anterior chamber was washed after ten minutes in group (A) of rabbits and after twenty four hours in group (B) of rabbits with balanced salt solution. The wound was sealed via stromal hydration. Topical antibiotic-steroid drops were used to post operatively. Results: Our study included 20 eyes from 10 rabbits. The right eye of each rabbit was used as a control. The IOP, AC cell count and AC flare stayed constant in right eye over one month follow up. The left eye however had significantly decrease in IOP at 1week and 1 moth; p=0.00. The AC cell count and AC flare was significantly high in left eye as compared to the baseline; p< 0.05. All rabbits had round regular pupil responding to light at the baseline. Iris atrophy was not seen in any rabbit at the baseline and also not at 1 week or 1 month. In all rabbits of group A no color change in iris occurred. However in group B all rabbits showed change of color of iris. The color could be seen in the form of membranes of color formed in front of the iris. However, the cornea and the lens did not take up any color and did not show any staining. In group A there was some pigment in the epithelial cells but no color could be demonstrated in the stroma. In group B the color deposits can be seen in the epithelial cells, in the macrophages of the stroma and also in the extracellular matrix of the stroma. Conclusion: Tattoo ink changed the color of iris if retained in the anterior chamber for 24 hours. It caused complications of decreased intraocular pressure and increased anterior chamber cell count and flare. No iris atrophy occurred. The change in color of iris was patchy for most colors but for blue ink the whole iris color change occurred.

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