The effect of the aspiration of pericardial effusion on intraocular pressure.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of pericardial effusion on intraocular pressure (IOP).


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with pericardial effusion were enrolled into the study. The average pericardial effusion was 2245 +/- 257 cc, and the mean IOP was 26.1 +/- 2.1 mm Hg in the initial examination. Pericardial effusion was aspirated via canula under topical anaesthesia at two or three-day intervals. IOP was measured after every aspiration of pericardial fluid. We statistically compared the changes in the mean IOP after every aspiration (one-way ANOVA), and calculated the correlation (regression analysis) between the amount of fluid and the changes in IOP.


RESULTS
An average of 400 ml of fluid was aspirated at two or three-day intervals. The mean IOP decreased to 23.3, 21.2, 19.1 and 16.3 mm Hg after aspirations, respectively. These decreases in the mean IOP were statistically significant (p < 0.01). In regression analysis, we observed a meaningful relationship between the changes in IOP and the amount of pericardial effusion (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
We found that pericardial effusion affected IOP due to increased episcleral venous pressure. Therefore, patients with pericardial effusion should be referred for an ophthalmological examination with IOP measurement. IOP-lowering medication can eventually be started or adjusted by the ophthalmologist.
Erdöl
Hidayet
H
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. herdol@meds.ktu.edu.tr
Erdöl
Cevdet
C
Baykan
Merih
M
Kola
Mehmet
M
Akyol
Nurettin
N
Kaplan
Sahin
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012044:Regression Analysis