[Hyaluronidase: Here we go again].

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the benefits and lateral effects of hyaluronidase (H) use in ophthalmologic anaesthesia and to address its unavailability in current practice in France.

DATA SOURCES: The Medline data bank and the Cochrane database were consulted. The keywords employed separately or in combination were: H, regional anaesthesia, ophthalmologic surgery, local aneasthetics myotoxicity, diplopia.

STUDY SELECTION: Original articles since 1949 were selected. We also selected isolated clinical cases according to their relevance compared with the existing literature.

DATA SYNTHESIS: H is a "spreading factor" of animal origin used as an adjuvant in ophthalmic anaesthesia for more than half a century. It allows a moderate better block quality with a slightly quicker onset. It also limits the acute intraocular pressure increase secondary to periocular injection and seems to have a protective effect against local anaesthetics myotoxicity resulting in postoperative strabismus. However, during these last 50 years, numerous studies often ended in divergent results.

CONCLUSION

H seems to be a useful adjuvant in ophthalmologic anaesthesia in spite of his current unavailability in France. Recombinant H could be the solution in the near future.