Gentian Violet Solution for Staining the Anterior Capsule

Purpose: To evaluate the histopathological changes after injecting gentian violet solution into the anterior chamber of rats and to describe a technique that uses gentian violet to allow a clear view of the anterior capsule during continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) in human eyes with white mature cataract.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Dicle, Diyarbakir, Turkey.

Methods: In this masked, experimental study (first stage), 0.05 mL of gentian violet 0.01% or 0.001% solution or balanced salt solution (BSS) (control group) was injected into the anterior chamber of 30 eyes of 30 Wistar albino rats. One, 24, and 48 hours after injection, 4 eyes in each group and 2 eyes in the control group were enucleated, and histopathological examination was performed. In the second stage, these solutions were used for staining the anterior capsule in the 18 human eyes with white mature cataract. The success rate of CCC and intraoperative and postoperative complications were evaluated.

Results: Histopathological examination revealed no pathology in any group. A CCC was completed in all cases. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed in human eyes except mild corneal edema and mild inflammatory reaction in the anterior chamber that improved within 1 week. Mean follow-up was 3.4 months. Visualization of the anterior capsule was better with gentian violet 0.01% solution.

Conclusions: Gentian violet solutions at 0.01% and 0.001% concentrations had no evident toxic effect that caused significant histopathological changes. The staining technique was practical and helped the surgeon visualize the anterior capsule. However, gentian violet may have adverse effects that lead to corneal edema.