title: Blood pressure and pressure amaurosis.
abstract: Susceptibility to pressure amaurosis was measured in young research subjects before and during blood pressure elevation induced by intravenous infusions of phenylephrine. Intraocular pressure elevations were produced by paralimbal suction; we measured the highest level to which intraocular pressure could be raised without obliterating perception of a slowly flickering stimulus in the nasal field of vision. Elevation of systemic blood pressure was accompanied in all subjects by a corresponding increase in the highest "safe" level of intraocular pressure. This observation confirms the commonly held hypothesis that pressure amaurosis is the result of pressure-induced neuroretinal ischemia.
mesh_terms: D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001766:Blindness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007511:Ischemia; D009884:Ophthalmodynamometry; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular
chemical_list: D010656:Phenylephrine; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D001285:Atropine