Frequent self-monitoring of intraocular pressure can determine effectiveness of medications in eyes with normal tension glaucoma: A case report.

Abstract

It is difficult to follow changes in the intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucomatous eyes comprehensively because of the limited number of outpatient examinations. We report our findings in a case of normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in which frequent self-measurements of the IOP were used to evaluate the IOP-lowering effect of different medications. A 50-year-old man with NTG had a nasal step visual field defect in his right eye and was being treated with 0.005% latanoprost (LAT) ophthalmic solution (XALATAN®). The patient was diagnosed with NTG. The patient had a mean IOP in the right eye of 10.9 ± 1.5 mm Hg (68 measurements in 1 month, Period A) during treatment with 0.005% LAT ophthalmic solution. During the second month (Period B), the mean IOP in the same eye was 9.8 ± 1.7 mm Hg (59 measurements) with treatment with a LAT and carteolol fixed combination (LCFC). And during the third month (Period C), the mean IOP was 7.4 ± 1.1 mm Hg (57 measurements) on the same right eye after the addition of brimonidine and brinzolamide fixed combination ophthalmic solution to the LCFC ophthalmic solution. Comparisons of the IOPs between Periods A and B and between B and C showed that the reductions in the IOP were significant. We conclude that frequent self-measurements of the IOP can determine that small changes of the IOPs are significant.