The Clinical Relationship between Intraocular Pressure and Brain Hemorrhage

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Rapid and noninvasive detection of increased intracranial pressure (IICP) is important in evaluating a clinically unstable, unconscious patient. The purpose of this study was to measure the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) of patients with intracranial hemorrhage and correlate the results to the variable clinical features associated with intracranial hemorrhage. METHODS: Patients admitted to the emergency department were sorted into two groups based on their IOP results as measured using a Tono-Pen. The hemorrhage group consisted of patients suffering with intracranial hemorrhage and the normal group consisted of patients without intracranial hemorrhage. Patients with glaucoma or trauma of the ocular or facial area were excluded from this study. RESULTS: Mean IOP (30.45+/-9.13 mmHg) of the hemorrhage group (52 patients, 34 male, 18 female, mean age 58.28+/-14.39 years) was higher than the mean IOP (16.14+/-2.24 mmHg) of the normal group (39 patients, 23 male, 16 female, mean age 52.69+/-17.79 years) (p<0.001). Whether or not the intracranial hemorrhage was traumatic or nontraumatic, severe, or mild to moderate, accompanied with IICP or non-IICP, requiring an emergency or non-emergency operation, the IOP measured did not show any statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The IOP of the hemorrhage group was higher than the IOP of the normal group, but to determine the clinical usefulness of this measurement when accompanying presentation of headache or traumatic brain injury in the emergency department will require further investigation.