DECREASED BASAL TEAR TURNOVER IN PATIENTS WITH UNTREATED PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA

PURPOSE: To detect whether untreated primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension is associated with an impaired basal tear turnover. METHODS: Basal tear turnover was determined by fluorophotometry in 18 patients with newly detected, untreated primary open angle glaucoma and 29 patients with untreated ocular hypertension, The results were compared with those of 27 age-marched control subjects. RESULTS: The basal tear turnover in glaucoma patients (mean +/- S.D., 11.4 +/- 3.1%/min) was 22% lower than in patients with ocular hypertension (14.7 +/- 3.0%/min; P = .0007) and 27% lower than in control subjects (15.7 +/- 5.3%/min; P = .001), Tear turnover of patients with ocular hypertension did not differ significantly from that of control subjects (P = .4), The basal tear turnover values were found to decrease with increasing vertical or horizontal cup/disk ratios (P = .004 and P = .008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Primary open angle glaucoma, but not ocular hypertension, was found to be associated with an impaired basal tear turnover, Dry eye complaints may originate from decreased basal tear turnover as a result of glaucoma drug therapy as well as from primary open angle glaucoma itself.