Repeatability of Intraocular Pressure Patterns in Glaucomatous Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the repeatability of 24-hour intraocular pressure (IOP) patterns in glaucomatous patients. METHODS: The author reviewed bilateral IOP data of 18 glaucoma patients who were admitted for 2 days. IOP data were collected in both eyes every 2 hours using Goldmann applanation tonometry during a 48-hour admission except at 0200 o'clock (13 patients) and 0400 o'clock (5 patients). The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to analyze the agreement of IOP patterns between the first and the second 24 hours. RESULTS: IOP reached its peak between 0400 o'clock and 0600 o'clock in both eyes and on both days. On evaluation, the IOP data excluding the results of 0200 o'clock and 0400 o'clock, agreement of IOP values of 18 patients was good to excellent at 0600, 1800, 2000, and 2400 o'clock in both eyes. Agreement of IOP values at 0800 and 1200 o'clock was good in the right eye and the left eye, respectively. The agreement of IOP values of 13 patients who underwent IOP assessment at 0400 o'clock and not at 0200 o'clock, was good to excellent only at 0400 and 0600 o'clock in both eyes. Otherwise, agreement was poor or not significant except at 1800 and 2200 o'clock which showed good agreement in the right eye and the left eye, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Presumable, a circadian IOP pattern exists, because in the present study, IOP reached its peak in the early morning on both days. However, to stipulate IOP patterns were repeatable appears to be difficult since there were numerous time points with poor agreement.