AQUEOUS-HUMOR DYNAMICS IN LOW-TENSION GLAUCOMA

We measured the diurnal aqueous humor flow in patients with low-tensio n glaucoma by clearance of topically applied fluorescein. Ten patients with low-tension glaucoma participated in the study, and ten age-matc hed healthy volunteers served as control subjects. The diurnal aqueous humor flow was 2.58 +/-0.78 mul/min (mean +/- standard deviation) in the control group and 2.48 +/- 0.61 mul/min in the low-tension glaucom a group. The corresponding nocturnal data were 0.98 +/- 0.22 mul/min a nd 1.24 +/- 0.45 mul/min. The differences were not statistically signi ficant. Tonographic facility of outflow and intraocular pressure were also measured. There were no statistically significant differences bet ween the two groups in either facility or pressure. No evidence was fo und in this small group of patients to support the hypothesis that the normal tension in this disease results from a combination of low faci lity and low flow.