A Study on the Diurnal Variation of Intraocular Pressure

ABSTRACT

The diurnal variation of intraocular pressure(IOP) was measured by a Goldmann applanation tonometer in 60 eyes of 30 nromal Korean volunteers, in order to find out the amount of diurnal variation of IOP and the time interval at which the hightst and the lowest IOP were checked. We also checked the diurnal variation of IOP once a week for three weeks to study whether it changes. 1) The mean diurnal variation of IOP was 3.82 +/- 1.83 mmHg, and the diurnal variations of three weeks were 3.87 +/- 1.79 mmHg, 3.78 +/- 1.90 mmHg and 3.78 +/- 1.80 mmHg, respectively. The mean coefficient of variation of diurnal variation was 0.10. 2) In the distribution of high and low points on the diurnal intraocular pressure curve in 60 normal eyes(% of total number of observation), at the optimum IOP 800 was the highest(43.9%) and 2000 was lowest(5.0%); at the lowest IOP 2000 was the hightest(21.2%) and 800 was the lowest(6.7%). There was no time change at which the highest pressure was checked in 55 eyes and at which the lowest pressure was checked in 56 eyes among the 60 eyes.