AQUEOUS-HUMOR FLOW IN UNILATERAL CAROTID STENOSIS

Our purpose was to study the relationship between carotid artery occlu sive disease and aqueous flow in human subjects. Aqueous humor flow wa s measured by fluorophotometry in seven patients with unilateral carot id artery disease documented by oculoplethysmography. The mean (+/-SD) flow was 2.03 +/- 0.38 mu l/min in the affected eyes, 2.44 +/- 0.66 m u l/min in the unaffected contralateral eyes, and 2.56 +/- 0.61 mu l/m in in a group of 14 age-matched controls. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the aqueous flow rate was seen between the af fected and unaffected eyes and between the affected and control eyes. Aqueous flow in the unaffected and control eyes was not statistically different. The anterior chamber volumes and intraocular pressures were also not significantly different among groups. Severe carotid artery disease may reduce aqueous humor formation by lowering ciliary body bl ood flow to a point beyond which the eye cannot compensate.