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Serious intraocular toxicity cases have been reported worldwide after the use of different perfluorocarbon liquids. The current study reports for the first-time the clinical pictures of cases of acute intraocular toxicity caused by MEROCTANE, a perfluoro-octane commercialized by a Turkish company and distributed in many countries. A series of 18 cases from Chile and Spain was retrospectively analysed. To evaluate the impurity profile, a suspicious MEROCTANE sample (lot OCT.01.2013) was analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry and compared with a non-suspicious sample of the same commercial perfluoro-octane (lot OCT 722011). Cytotoxicity was tested following a direct-contact method, taking into consideration the high volatility and hydrophobicity of perfluoro-octane and following the ISO 10993 guideline. Cytotoxicity test showed clear cytotoxic effects of the analysed batch (less than 9% of cell viability). Moreover, chemical analysis demonstrated the presence of many contaminants, some highly toxic (acids and alcohols). Perfluorocarbon liquids are useful tools for intraocular surgery but companies and Agencies of Medical Devices must implement measures that guarantee the safety of these products based on both chemical and cytotoxicity analysis for every batch. Medical staff should be encouraged to report any suspected case to their respective National Agencies.

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Purpose: To report ocular surface pathology of patients with acute/subacute mercury intoxication.Methods: Male workers intoxicated with inorganic mercury were examined for dry eye (DE)-related symptoms. Examinations included Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire; tear osmolarity, tear break-up time (T-BUT) and production; mechanical and thermal corneal sensitivity; corneal nerve and dendritic cell density analysis; and analysis of 23 tear cytokines.Results: Most patients, 63.6%, had severe DE-related symptoms. Tear osmolarity was elevated in 83.4%, and T-BUT was low in 22.7% of patients. Tear production and tear lysozyme concentration were low in 13.6% and 27.3% of cases, respectively. Corneal sensitivity thresholds for mechanical, heat and cold stimuli were higher than controls. Densities of nerves, nerve branching, and dendritic cells were lower than in controls. Patient tear levels of IL-12p70, IL1-RA, RANTES, and VEGF were increased, whereas EGF, IL-6, and IP-10/CXCL10 were decreased. Based on cytokine levels, two clusters of patients were identified. Cluster 2 patients had significantly increased tear levels of 18 cytokines, decreased tear lysozyme, lower nerve branching density, fewer dendritic cells, and higher urine mercury levels.Conclusions: Mercury poisoning produced previously undescribed ocular surface pathology, similar to neurogenic inflammatory type of DE and different from the more common DE subtypes.

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