Gabapentin therapy for painful, blind glaucomatous eye: case report.
BACKGROUND
Gabapentin is an antiepileptic used for neuropathic pain treatment. Glaucoma can be conceptualized an optic neuropathy associated with characteristic structural damage to the optic nerve and associated visual dysfunction.


OBJECTIVE
To use gabapentin to relieve discomfort in a painful, blind glaucomatous eye of a patient unwilling to undergo further invasive treatment.


METHODS
Patient rated his pregabapentin and postgabapentin pain by a verbal descriptor scale and a numerical scale.


RESULTS
Gabapentin provided significant pain relief (on a 0-10 scale, reduction from "8" to "0-2") at regular visits over 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Gabapentin may relieve pain in a painful, blind, glaucomatous eye.
Kavalieratos
Christos-Stavros
CS
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Clinic, Hellenic Red Cross, Henry Dunant General Hospital, Athens, Greece. ckavalie@yahoo.co.uk
Dimou
Triantafillia
T
D000368:Aged; D000588:Amines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077206:Gabapentin; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000588:Amines; D000700:Analgesics; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin