Effect of orally administered hydrocortisone on the ocular tension in primary open-angle glaucoma subjects. Preliminary report.

Abstract

We studied the possible influence on the pattern of diurnal ocular tension curve by peroral hydrocortisone in 16 eyes of 16 subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma. The baseline diurnal curve was determined by Schiotz tonometry six times daily starting at 10 a.m. and repeated every four hours. The baseline curve showed a significant rise in the daytime with a fall during the night. On another day, 20 mg hydrocortisone was given perorally at 5 p.m., for a repeat 24-h measurement period. A significant rise in ocular tension over the baseline resulted in the following night-time tonometric readings, i.e. at 10 p.m. (P less than 0.01) and 2 a.m. (P less than 0.001). The results seem to strongly indicate that plasma cortico-steroid levels dictate the pattern of diurnal variation of ocular tension.