ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To report the relationship between the extent of rupture of the trabecular meshwork and intraocular pressure changes in traumatic hyphema patients. METHODS: Ninety-five trabecular meshwork rupture patients were selected from a group of traumatic hyphema patients. Identification and measurement of the rupture of the trabecular meshwork were performed by gonioscopy, and intraocular pressure was measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry until 3 months after the trauma. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences of IOP between the traumatic eyes and the contralateral eyes at day 2, 3, 5, and 1 month (p=0.000, 0.018, 0.001, 0.040, respectively). IOP was highest at the 2nd day post-trauma, and dropped by the 5th day, after which it rose slightly. The relationship between the extent of trabecular meshwork rupture and the difference of IOP was positive at the 2nd day post-trauma (r=0.259) and negative at the 6th day post-trauma (r=-0.296); these differences are statistically significant (p=0.020, p=0.041, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A rupture of the trabecular meshwork can be measured using gonioscopy, and the change of IOP in a trabecular meshwork rupture increases as the extent of the rupture of the trabecular meshwork increases.