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1From the Ophthalmic Department and the 2Clinical Laboratory, Central Hospital of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, Finland; the 3Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland; and 4Department of Sport Sciences, University of Poitiers, France.
| Abstract |
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METHODS. Twenty-one consecutive cataract patients administered tamsulosin and 21 control patients were studied. Characteristics of the iris during surgery were recorded. Pupillary diameters of 16 patients were measured before and after iris dilatation. Tamsulosin concentrations in the aqueous humor and serum were analyzed. In five patients, surgery on the second eye was carried out after a 7- to 28-day pause in tamsulosin medication.
RESULTS. Each patient administered tamsulosin had a sluggish hypotonic iris, along with a tendency toward miosis and a tendency for prolapse of the iris into the phaco tunnel or into the side port during cataract surgery. Sluggish irises also often adhered to the phaco tip or to the irrigation-aspiration tip. Despite a pause of 7 to 28 days in the use of tamsulosin, the adverse effects persisted. Tamsulosin concentrations varied between 0.1 and 1.0 ng/mL in the anterior chamber fluid. In three of five cases, tamsulosin remained in detectable amounts the aqueous humor after the 7- to 28-day pause. Preoperative pupillary diameter was smaller in the patients using tamsulosin than in the controls.
CONCLUSIONS. Tamsulosin has selective
1A-adrenoreseptor antagonistic properties and obviously binds for a long period to the postsynaptic nerve endings of the iris dilator muscle, thus affecting iris dilatation and leading to complications in cataract surgery. The iris remained floppy after 7- to 28-day interruption of the tamsulosin regimen.
1A/
1D subtype selective
1-adrenoreceptor antagonist (
1-blocker), is the most frequently prescribed medication for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia.1 2 Konno and Takayanagi3 and Nakamura et al.4 found in rabbit eyes that contraction of the iris dilator muscle is mediated by
1-adrenoreceptors. The
1Aadrenoreceptor subtype has been shown to be dominant in the iris.5 Intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS), a symptom complicating cataract surgery, has been connected with the use of tamsulosin.6 7 In a typical case of IFIS, a flaccid, poorly dilated iris undulates and billows in response to ordinary fluid currents, and the stroma of the iris tends to prolapse into the phaco and side port incisions, thus making the operation more demanding and potentially leading to various secondary complications. Recently, Schwinn and Afshari8 addressed this controversial effect in an editorial pointed to the possible implications of other drugs and factors, arguing that further studies should be undertaken to elucidate the possible role of other drugs and coexisting diseases in the etiology of IFIS and similar symptoms. The frequency of complications from an unusually sluggish iris prolapsing into the phaco tunnel or the side port seems to have increased in the past 30 years (O.P., unpublished observations). When it became apparent that a feature common to these patients was the use of tamsulosin, a prospective study was begun in 2004 to record the characteristics of the iris in patients using tamsulosin and to measure the concentrations of tamsulosin in serum and in the aqueous humor. | Materials and Methods |
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Twenty-one control patients were selected from among 139 consecutive male cataract patients for the part of study that measured pupillary diameter. The inclusion criterion for the controls was age match as near as possible but within 1 year. Exclusion criteria were the same as those for the patients. Medication histories of the patients and controls were recorded.
In five patients, surgery on the second eye was performed after a pause in tamsulosin medication for 7 to 28 days. One of the patients with bilateral cataract had erroneously suspended the use of tamsulosin 7 days before the first operation.
This study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the ethics committee of the Central Hospital of Central Finland. Measurements were taken only after the patients had given their informed consent.
Pupillary Measurements
Before surgery, pupillary diameters were measured twice using a pupillometer (P2000; Procyon, Montreal, Canada) at three different levels of illumination: scotopic (0.04 lux), mesopic low (0.4 lux), and mesopic high (4.0 lux). Background illumination of the examination room was 10 to 11 lux. The first set of three measurements was performed for all patients before pupillary dilatation, and the second set of measurements was performed for 16 patients 20 minutes after the pupil was dilated with two drops of phenylephrine 100 mg/mL (Oftan-Metaoxedrin; Santen Oy, Tampere, Finland) and two drops of tropicamide 5 mg/mL (Oftan-Tropicamid; Santen Oy). To obtain the real pupillary diameters under the conditions and illumination levels of surgery, the third measurement of the pupillary diameter of the tamsulosin patients was taken with a metallic measure immediately after surgery; its accuracy was 0.5 mm. Preoperative pupillary measurements were performed from a few days to 1 month before surgery. Dilatation of the pupil before surgery was performed with the administration of 1 drop of oxybuprocain and diclofenac and, a few minutes thereafter, 1 drop of tropicamide and metaoxedrine, repeated 2 to 3 minutes later. Pupillary dilatation was performed 40 to 60 minutes before cataract surgery.
Operative Settings and Samples Taken
Phaco surgery was conducted with the use of a phaco apparatus (Series 20000 Legacy; Alcon, Forth Worth, TX) with the following settings: vacuum, 80350 mm Hg; bottle height, 74 cm; aspiration rate, 2436 mL/min. During irrigation-aspiration, the settings were: vacuum, 500 mm Hg; flow rate, 32 mL/min.
Before surgery, a venous blood sample was taken for the purpose of measuring serum tamsulosin content. An aqueous humor sample was taken at the beginning of the cataract operation from the freshly incised 1.2-mm corneal side port. Surgery was conducted from the clear corneal temporal 3 mm tunnel. The corneal 1.2-mm side port was made at approximately 90° from the tunnel. Viscoelastic (Viscoat; Alcon) was used in all the operations. No iris dilators or iris hooks were used.
Recording of Iris-Related Complications
To grade the severity of the complications, the following symptoms were recorded: progressive miosis during surgery, sluggish and fluttering iris, iris prolapse into phaco tunnel, iris prolapse into side port, iris catching on irrigationaspiration tip, iris catching on phaco tip, difficulty repositioning iris, iris lesion, iris hemorrhage.
Analysis of Tamsulosin Concentrations
Aqueous humor and serum samples were analyzed with a liquid chromatographyelectrospray tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) (Keski-Rahkonen P, manuscript submitted). The limit of quantification was 0.1 ng/mL for aqueous humor and serum samples, for each separately, and linearity was obtained over concentrations ranging from 0.08 to 4.7 ng/mL for aqueous humor and 0.1 to 19 ng/mL for serum samples.
Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA for repeated measurements and the Scheffé test. Multicomparison levels of significance were set at 95%.
| Results |
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In 8 of 17 (47%) patients, intraoperative miosis was high enough to make the surgery considerably more demanding. The average postoperative pupillary diameter in the eye operated on was 4.5 mm compared with preoperative values of 6.39 mm in the right eye and 5.99 mm in the left eye. In 15 of 17 (88%) patients, the iris prolapsed into the phaco tunnel. The iris prolapsed into the side port in 7 of 17 (41%) patients. In all patients with iris prolapse (88%), a lesion was found in the iris pigment epithelium, and in 3 (18%) patients the lesion was noteworthy. Adherence of the iris to the phaco tip occurred in one patient and to the IA-tip in 8 of 17 (47%) patients. Hemorrhage of the iris was seen in one patient. In patients 4 and 9, the iris did not prolapse into the tunnel or side port. Patient 4 had been taking tamsulosin for only 6 months, and patient 9 had been taking it for 2 years. Patients 11 and 13 had also been taking tamsulosin for approximately the same length of time as patients 4 and 9, respectively, but had iris prolapse into both the tunnel and the side port. Postoperative pupillary diameters varied between 2 and 8 mm. Figure 1 shows a poorly dilated pupil and typical iris prolapse into the phaco tunnel.
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Tamsulosin Measurements
Patients had significant variation in tamsulosin concentrations, both in the aqueous humor and in the serum (Table 1) . Tamsulosin concentrations in the aqueous humor did not significantly correlate with those in the serum. Three patients (patients 5, 7, 8) did not have enough aqueous humor to enable reliable quantitative measurement. Their concentrations measured approximately 0.3 to 0.5 ng/mL. No correlation was observed between adverse effects and concentrations of tamsulosin in either the aqueous humor or the serum. Similarly, we found no relationship between the patients other medications and the severity of the iris-related complications. Whether included or excluded, the data on patient 7, who had erroneously discontinued the use of tamsulosin 7 days before the first operation, did not influence the results of the analyses.
In five patients with bilateral cataract, the use of tamsulosin was suspended for 7 to 28 days before surgery on the second eye (Table 2) . Patient 7, however, had erroneously suspended the use of tamsulosin for 7 days before the first operation. In all patients, the iris continued to be sluggish. With so few cases it is impossible to say whether the pause in the use of tamsulosin caused any significant reduction in the adverse effects. Pupillary diameters remained similar after the pause. Tamsulosin concentrations in serum fell below the limits of quantification in all patients. In the aqueous humor, tamsulosin remained quantifiable after a pause of up to 28 days, except in patient 10. All patients who had suspended the use of tamsulosin experienced intensified urinary problems. Patient 11 underwent unsuccessful catheterization; consequently, a suprapubic cystofix application had to be performed.
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| Discussion |
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1A-adrenoreceptors than for the
1B-receptors and 2 to 3 times higher affinity for the
1A-adrenoreceptors than for the
1Dreceptors.9 10 11 Sato et al.12 found in dogs that the plasma concentration of tamsulosin was close to the limit of detection at 240 minutes, whereas concentrations in the prostate and urethra remained 13 to 44 times higher. This was thought to show sustained binding of tamsulosin to the target tissues. It can be suggested that in the iris tamsulosin binds for a long period to the postsynaptic
1A-adrenoreceptors of the iris-dilating muscle. This was consistent with our findings. Before surgery, pupils were approximately 1 mm smaller at the different levels of illumination in patients taking tamsulosin than in the controls. Progressive miosis during surgery was obviously the effect of tamsulosin preventing the receptor binding of sympathomimetic phenylephrine, which, combined with the simultaneous paralysis of the sphincter pupillae by tropicamide drops, may be factors leading to a sluggish iris with no tonus. A poorly dilating pupil, which may have various causesamong them glaucoma, diabetes, and pseudoexfoliationis not an uncommon finding during cataract surgery. Similarly, iris prolapse into the phaco tunnel may occur, possibly because of elevated intraocular pressure. Various medicines have systemic sympatholytic and parasympathomimetic effects that in turn may affect pupillary dilatation during cataract surgery. These effects and co-effects of different medicines should be examined more systematically in future studies. However, in patients using tamsulosin, the clinical characteristics of the iris during cataract surgery are typically different from, for example, the characteristics of the iris in patients with diabetes and glaucoma. In particular, the hypotonically fluttering iris during irrigationaspiration is typical of all IFIS patients.
It has been suggested that IFIS is connected with all four commercially available
1-AR antagonist medications: alfuzosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin, and terazosin.13 Of these, only alfuzosin and tamsulosin are marketed in Finland. The use of tamsulosin in Finland is fairly common and has steadily increased, from 5.1 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants with a daily dose of 0.4 g in 2001 to 7.1 in 2005.14 During the same period, the use of alfuzosin was significantly less but nevertheless increased from 0.1 to 1.9 DDD per 1000 inhabitants. Thus far, we have not observed similar adverse effects in our clinic with alfuzosin (OP, unpublished observations), perhaps in part because of the significantly lower use of this medication compared with tamsulosin. Nevertheless, prospective clinical studies should be performed to compare the characteristics of the iris in patients using different
1A-sympatholytics. However, long experience leads us to suspect that similar cases of a floppy iris existed before the market entry of tamsulosin, some of which might have been linked to the use of chlorpromazine, which has
-sympatholytic and miotic effects.15
Different organic and inorganic substances, amino acids, and medicines are present in the aqueous humor.16 However, to our knowledge, this study is the first to show tamsulosin in the aqueous humor. Given that tamsulosin remained in the aqueous humor after a pause in its use of up to 28 days, it can be suggested that prolonged binding of tamsulosin to the iris, and perhaps to the corpus ciliare, occurred.
The concentration of tamsulosin in serum was below the limit of quantification in all five patients after a pause in its use of 7 to 28 days. Our relatively small sample does not permit conclusions on the possible relationship between the concentration of tamsulosin in the blood or in the aqueous humor and the severity of the reported adverse effects. It is suggested that the severity of IFIS may be related more to the duration of tamsulosin therapy than to its concentration in serum or in the aqueous humor. In the present study, it was not possible to determine the magnitude of the adverse effects in relation to the duration of tamsulosin therapy with the measures used. Nevertheless, the consensus was that the longer the period of tamsulosin use, the more sluggish the iris.
All the reported adverse effects connected with the use of tamsulosin tend to make cataract surgery more difficult and demand much patience and concentration on the part of the surgeon while increasing the risk for complications. In this sample, no posterior capsule rupture or vitreous complications occurred. Chang and Campel6 reported posterior capsular ruptures and vitreous loss in 12% of their patients, a frequency higher than usually found in patients with cataract. When the surgeon is aware of the possibility of adverse effects, he can try to perform the surgery more meticulously and thereby prevent posterior capsular complications. An iris that prolapses into the side port or into the phaco tunnel is liable to tear or lose its pigment layer, or it may become deformed, leading to impaired postoperative pupillary function.
Chang and Campel6 recommend suspending tamsulosin therapy 1 to 2 weeks before cataract surgery. Interestingly, their data include a patient who had mild IFIS despite the fact that the medication had been discontinued 3 years before the cataract surgery. Lawrentschuk and Bylsma17 recommend that urologists not change the prescribing habits of
blockers but discontinue the use of tamsulosin 7 days before planned intraoperative surgery. In the present study, the sluggish iris remained in all five patients after a pause in the use of tamsulosin for 1 to 4 weeks. Additionally, as a direct result, all these patients reported increased difficulties in urination, and one patient had to undergo catheterization after a pause of only 1 week. Thus, suspending the use of tamsulosin seems to cause only annoying urinary symptoms while not alleviating the adverse effects on the iris.
This study supports earlier suggestions that tamsulosin causes long-term or permanent changes in iris function,6 a finding also supported by the recent poster presentation at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive SurgeryAmerican Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASCRS-ASOA) Congress that showed, on transmission electron microscopy, a lack of identifiable myofibrils of iris dilator muscle of patients taking tamsulosin.18
Recently, it was shown that intracameral injection of phenylephrine at cataract extraction causes a significant reduction in the mobility of the iris, a reduction in fluttering, and sustained papillary dilatation.19 Helzner13 summarizes some of the suggested ways to minimize complications in patients with IFIS. Various properties of different viscoelastics, such as Healon 5, may have effects on iris undulation during cataract surgery. Fluttering of the iris is usually more pronounced during irrigationaspiration. A reduction in the flow values may be helpful in some patients. Whether significant miosis is present, iris hooks obviously help make possible better visualization during surgery, but they do not prevent sluggishness of the iris.
Tamsulosin has been prescribed for urinary retention in women.20 Physicians who prescribe medicines for problems of the lower urinary tractfor women or for menmust be aware that in the event of later cataract surgery, tamsulosin significantly increases the risk for complications. In turn, the surgeon should find out before cataract surgery what medicines the patient is using and should be prepared for difficulty if they include tamsulosin.
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Disclosure: O. Pärssinen, None; E. Leppänen, None; P. Keski-Rahkonen, None; T. Mauriala, None; B. Dugué, None; M. Lehtonen, None
The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. This article must therefore be marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C.
1734 solely to indicate this fact.
Corresponding author: Olavi Pärssinen, Ophthalmic Department, Central Hospital of Central Finland, Kannaksenkatu 5, 40600 Jyväskylä, Finland; olavi.parssinen{at}top.fimnet.fi.
| References |
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1-Adrenergic antagonists and floppy iris syndrome: tip of the iceberg?. Ophthalmology. 2005;112:20592060.[CrossRef][ISI][Medline][Order article via Infotrieve]This article has been cited by other articles:
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P. R. Brogden, O. C. Backhouse, and M. Saldana Intraoperative floppy iris syndrome associated with tamsulosin Can Fam Physician, July 1, 2007; 53(7): 1148 - 1148. [Full Text] [PDF] |
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