Reduction of intraocular pressure in a glaucoma patient undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
OBJECTIVE
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 pressures 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 unchanged.


RESULTS
During HRT, IOP levels were reduced from 16-20 mmHg before therapy to 12-15 mmHg at week 4 and to 13-15 mmHg at week 12 after the 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.
Sator
M O
MO
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Hospital, University of Vienna, Austria. Michael.Sator@akh-wien.ac.at
Akramian
J
J
Joura
E A
EA
Nessmann
A
A
Wedrich
A
A
Gruber
D
D
Metka
M
M
Huber
J C
JC
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D014290:Metipranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D014290:Metipranolol