Ocular hypertension: A follow-up study in treated and untreated patients

Ocular hypertension is the main risk factor in primary open-angle glaucoma development. Nevertheless it is well known that sometimes ocular hypertension does not lead to fullyfledged glaucoma. In this study patients with simple ocular hypertension were followed with some of the most sensitive techniques available to detect early glaucomatous damage. The aim of the study was to see whether treatment with beta-blockers had any effect on development of ocular hypertension toward fullyfledged glaucoma. 26 patients, 14 males and 12 females, with a mean age of 60 years were studied. All had simple ocular hypertension, without any alteration of the visual field, pattern ERG and optic nerve head morphology; their visual acuity was 1.0, while no other ocular pathologies or specific risk factors for primary open-angle glaucoma (familiarity, diabetes, etc.) was present. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: one group was treated with levobunolol 0.5% 1 drop twice daily in both eyes, while the other group underwent no treatment. Visual acuity and IOP measurements, automated perimetry and pattern-ERG were performed at the onset, than after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months; optic disk stereoscopic photography was repeated only after 12 and 18 months. The data underwent a statistical analysis with t-test for paired data. No variations were observed in all analyzed parameters a part from a significant reduction of IOP in treated group and an improvement of visual field index mean defect in both groups.