Postural Change of the Intraocular Pressure in Normal Healthy Children From de South Region of Brazil - Projeto Glaucoma

Abstract

 

Purpose:

 

To assess the postural change of intraocular pressure (IOP) in normal healthy children.

 

Methods:

 

This cross-sectional observational study included children attending elementary school. All children were submitted to a screening exame, which included medical interview, visual acuity, Perkins tonometry, and retinoscopy under cyclopegia if necessary. IOP measurements were performed at the sitting position and after 2 minutes at the supine position. Only data from the right eye was considered for analysis.

 

Results:

 

A total of 460 consecutive cooperative children were included in this study, of whom 50.2% were boys. Most children were White (63.9%), the others being Black or Mixed [Black and White] (27.3%), and others (8.8% - Indian, Yellow, Unknown). No ophthalmic disease other than refractive errors was detected. The mean sitting and supine IOP (95% CI) were 12.17 (11.98 to 12.36) and 13.34 (13.13 to 13.55) mmHg, respectively. The mean IOP difference from sitting to supine was +1.16 (1.02 to 1.31) mmHg, and the range of IOP difference was -4 to 6 mmHg (Figure 1). After adjusting for age, gender, and race, no significant IOP difference was observed between boys and girls (1.02 [SE 0.11] vs. 1.23 [SE 0.11] mmHg, p=0.16, respectively), white and non-white children (1.26 [SE 0.09] vs. 0.98 [SE 0.13] mmHg, respectively). IOP difference was not associated with age, gender, or race.

 

Conclusions:

 

A significant increase in IOP from sitting to supine position was detected in this large sample of normal healthy children. The mean IOP variation was smaller than the one observed in previous studies in normal control adults with smaller sample size.  

 

Keywords: intraocular pressure