Correlation of diurnal fluctuations in intraocular pressure and progression of chronic simple glaucoma

Abstract

Purpose: To study the correlation between diurnal fluctuations of intraocular pressure and progression of chronic simple glaucoma. Introduction: Out of all the risk factors for glaucoma, only modifiable risk factor is intraocular pressure. A lot of studies have been done to determine the relationship between the behavior of diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) and progression of glaucoma. The results varied and are inconclusive because the visual field damage could have occurred at a time when the IOP was high, although it was low at the time of measurement. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted on all patients diagnosed or suspected CSG with office IOP <25 mmHg. Measurement of diurnal fluctuation in IOP was done by taking 2 hourly IOP readings after admitting patients in hospital for 1 day. Results: The mean baseline diurnal fluctuation of our patients was 8.5 mmHg with values reaching as high as 13.6 mmHg in some patients. 28.8% of the patients of our study group showed progression at the end of 2-year follow-up. As the baseline diurnal fluctuation increased, the number of patients showing progression increased.