Effects of Tissue Fixation on Light Scatter by PCO

Purpose: To investigate whether light scattering of posterior capsule opacifications (PCOs) changes after fixation with paraformaldehyde (PFA).Methods: The intraocular lens with the lens capsule were extracted from pseudophakic donor eyes. Images of the extracted sample were acquired pre and post PFA-fixation using a dark field microscope. Light scatter intensity was measured for different regions pre and post fixation.Results: The regression lines between the light intensities measured pre and post fixation for the three color channels showed the same slope of 0.96. Also the correlation coefficients were the same for the three color channels, namely 0.97.Conclusions: Scattering intensities of PCO tissue pre and post fixation are quantitatively similar. The effects of fixation on the optical properties of PCO can be considered small.