ABSTRACT
The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy were studied in nine patients with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, who had been unsatisfactorily treated with corticosteroids. In four patients with signs of optic disc atrophy there was no improvement of visual functions after hyperbaric oxygen treatment, whereas in the other five patients, who had no signs of optic disc atrophy, visual acuity and visual field improved. The achieved improvements were maintained at a control examination six months later. Results suggest that hyperbaric oxygen might be a new remedy for the selected cases of non-arteritic ischaemic optic neuropathy and call for a controlled clinical study aiming to accurately assess its efficacy.
Subject(s)
Hyperbaric Oxygenation , Optic Nerve Diseases/therapy , Visual Acuity , Visual Fields , Aged , Female , Humans , Ischemia/complications , Male , Middle Aged , Optic Nerve/blood supply , Optic Nerve Diseases/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The aim of the study is to assess the value of function tests of the autonomic nervous system in open-angle glaucoma by testing the cardiovascular reflexes and pupil cycle time. The experimental group consisted of 19 glaucoma subjects with controlled intraocular pressure. The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers. The Valsalva test has proven to be considerably accurate in the assertion of autonomic dysfunction (p < 0.05). Pupil cycle time was significantly prolonged (p < 0.001). These results confirm the role of autonomic dysfunction in open-angle glaucoma.
