[Certain aspects of the etiology of normal-pressure glaucoma]

Two groups of clinical-and-pathogenetic patients were defined through examining the hydrodynamics and hemodynamics of the eye in 67 patients (110 eyes) with normal pressure glaucoma (NPG); the below examinations methods were made use of: three-hour and one-day tonometry, tonography, determination of tolerance of the intraocular pressure (IOP), ultrasonic Doppler-graphy of the ocular artery and fluorescent angiography of the optic nerve. Tolerance of the original IOP, which was close to the age norm according to tonography readings, a reduced linear blood circulation, somewhat higher parameters of the peripheral resistance registered in the ocular artery (OA) and in the central retinal artery--(CRA)--(p < 0.05) and absolute defects of blood filling of the vascular system of the optic nerve disk (OND) were found to be typical of the group with a resistant and relatively low pressure (< or = 20 mm Hg), which was indicative of the predominant role of vascular disorders in the discussed patients. As for the group with a relatively high pressure (< or = 26 mm Hg), apart from the impaired orbital blood circulation, intolerance of the original IOP, as well as reduced parameters of secretion and discharge were found to be typical of it. The study data prove that NPG is characterized by polymorphism and polyetiologic nature.