Studies on the use of desferrioxamine in experimental ocular siderosis produced by extrabulbar administration of iron.

The objective of these studies was to find out whether iron administered extrabulbarly can penetrate inside the eyeball and whether this process can be checked by transconjunctival injections of desferrioxamine. Histological examination revealed that 12 months after the placing of iron in the orbit, an accumulation of the metal can be observed in the sclera, choroid, and retina of untreated animals. In the group of animals treated with desferrioxamine, iron did not penetrate into the eyeball, and only in some animals could its presence be found in superficial layers of the sclera. The possibility is discussed of using the drug for the treatment of conditions resulting from the presence of foreign bodies in the orbit.