REDUCTION OF INTRAOCULAR-PRESSURE IN A GLAUCOMA PATIENT UNDERGOING HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

Objectives: To show the reducing effect of estrogens and progestins on the elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in the case of a 56-year-old woman showing typical climacteric complaints, who was admitted to the menopause outpatient unit. She also suffered from a primary open-angle glaucoma treated with betaophtiole eye drops with intraocular pressur es of 16-20 mmHg under this local therapy. Methods: IOP patterns were monitored by means of standardised daily pressure profiles four times a day before as well as 4 and 12 weeks after the beginning of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The local glaucoma therapy remained unchang ed. Results: During HRT, IOP levels were reduced from 16-20 mmHg befor e therapy to 12-15 mmHg at week 4 and to 13-15 mmHg at week 12 after t he beginning of HRT. Conclusions: The finding of a close chronological relationship between the onset of menopause and the development of a glaucoma is a potentially new indication for HRT. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sc ience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.