Vitreous Oxygenation Measured by T1 Mapping in the Eye Reveals No Increased Oxygenation Following Vitrectomy

Nicholas G. Dowell¹, Edward H. Hughes², Andrew Simpson², Paul S. Tofts¹

We use a T₁ mapping technique to determine the partial pressure of oxygen (pO₂) of the vitreous humour (the clear gel that fills the eyeball between the lens and the retina) in a group of patients undergoing a vitrectomy (the extraction of the vitreous). We measured pO₂ in 9 patients before and after vitrectomy and showed that there was no increase in vitreous oxygenation. This finding could have implications for the understanding of the therapeutic benefits of vitrectomy and may help improve patient treatment. The technique itself provides a non-invasive approach to pO₂ measurement that will permit longitudinal studies of the oxygenation mechanism of the eye.