DECREASED BASAL TEAR TURNOVER IN PATIENTS WITH UNTREATED PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA

PURPOSE: To detect whether untreated primary open-angle glaucoma or oc ular hypertension is associated with an impaired basal tear turnover. METHODS: Basal tear turnover was determined by fluorophotometry in 18 patients with newly detected, untreated primary open angle glaucoma an d 29 patients with untreated ocular hypertension, The results were com pared with those of 27 age-marched control subjects. RESULTS: The basa l tear turnover in glaucoma patients (mean +/- S.D., 11.4 +/- 3.1%/min ) was 22% lower than in patients with ocular hypertension (14.7 +/- 3. 0%/min; P = .0007) and 27% lower than in control subjects (15.7 +/- 5. 3%/min; P = .001), Tear turnover of patients with ocular hypertension did not differ significantly from that of control subjects (P = .4), T he basal tear turnover values were found to decrease with increasing v ertical or horizontal cup/disk ratios (P = .004 and P = .008, respecti vely). CONCLUSIONS: Primary open angle glaucoma, but not ocular hypert ension, was found to be associated with an impaired basal tear turnove r, Dry eye complaints may originate from decreased basal tear turnover as a result of glaucoma drug therapy as well as from primary open ang le glaucoma itself.