Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of tight collars on intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT). Methods: IOPs of normal and open-angle glaucoma subjects were measured using GAT in both eyes by the same examiner. IOP readings were taken with an open shirt collar, 3 minutes following placing a tight necktie and 3 minutes after loosening it. The measurements were compared by paired t-Test. Results: Forty eyes of 20 open-angle glaucoma subjects and 40 eyes of 20 normal subjects were enrolled. All subjects were male. Normal subjects were younger than the glaucoma patients (mean age, 35.1 ± 9.6 (range, 21 to 57 years) vs. 62.2 ± 11.4 years (range, 42 to 75 years), p<0.0001; respectively). With GAT, mean IOP in normal subjects increased by 2.64 ± 3.49 mmHg (p<0.0001, paired t-Test; range -3 to 14 mmHg) and in glaucoma patients by 1.01 ± 1.61 mmHg (p=0.0005, paired t-Test; range -2 to 4.5 mmHg). In normal subjects, IOP of 24 eyes was increased by ≥2 mmHg and 15 eyes by ≥4 mmHg. In glaucoma patients, IOP of 13 eyes was increased by ≥2 mmHg and 3 eyes by ≥4 mmHg. Conclusion: The presence of a tight collar increases IOP both in normal subjects and glaucoma patients. In some patients the increase was more than 4 mmHg. This could effect the clinical management of glaucoma.
Keywords: 444 intraocular pressure • 355 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment • 356 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: systems/equipment/techniques