2002 Volume 21 Issue 1-2 Pages 23-27
We evaluated the effectiveness of a laser flare meter for objective assessment of aqueous flare, which results from increased protein in the anterior chamber and is associated with uveitis. Measurements were carried out in 100 normal canine eyes, 30 normal feline eyes, and 10 canine eyes diagnosed with unilateral uveitis based on clinical symptoms and findings. The flare values (pc/ms) (mean ± SD) were 4.60 ± 1.30 in the normal canine eyes, 6.14 ± 1.60 in the normal feline eyes, and 83.18 ± 3.20 in the canine eyes with uveitis. The flare value in canine eyes with uveitis was significantly higher than in normal canine eyes (p<0.01). No statistically significant difference was shown between the left and right normal canine or between the left and right normal canine or between the left and right normal feline eyes. Evaluation of normal canine eyes by age group showed a significantly higher flare value of 6.10 ± 1.22 in dogs aged ≥ 10 years (mean age, 12.9 years) versus 4.20 ± 0.99 in dogs aged ≤ 4 years (mean age, 2.1 years) (p<0.01). This suggests that aqueous flare increases with age. We found the laser flare meter to be very useful for objective and quantitative clinical evaluation of canine and feline aqueous flare.
