Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine whether a short–term reduction of IOP affects CCT.
Methods: :
In an urban glaucoma clinic, patients with POAG who required IOP lowering with medical management and age–matched POAG controls who were not undergoing a medication change were prospectively enrolled. Goldmann applanation tonometry and CCT (measured by ultrasound pachymetry) were recorded in each eye prior to initiation of medication and at the one month follow–up visit. Statistical analysis was performed to compare pre–intervention CCT values to post–intervention CCT and the relationship to IOP measurement.
Results: :
154 eyes from 108 patients were included in the study. The eyes in the treatment group received with one of the following topical agents: travoprost, latanoprost, levobunolol, brimonidine or dorzolamide. In the treated eyes, IOP decreased from 19.37 to 15.89mmHg (p=0.221) and the CCT increased from 530.75 to 533.13 microns (p=0.032) after medical treatment. In the fellow untreated eyes, the IOP was 20.32mmHg and CCT was 538.29 microns at the baseline visit and 19.83mmHg and 537.18 microns at one month (p=0.422 and 0.737, respectively). ANOVA analysis found no statistically significant difference in effect on CCT between the different medications. In the control group (n=23) no change in CCT or IOP (mean decrease of 1.01microns and 0.97mmHg, p=0.833 and 0.623 respectively) was detected.
Conclusions: :
Lowering IOP with topical agents results in a statistically significant increase in central corneal thickness which is probably not clinically significant.
Keywords: intraocular pressure • cornea: clinical science • drug toxicity/drug effects