[The causes of a decrease in eye function in open-angle glaucoma]

On the grounds of the analysis of 123 case histories of patients with open-angle glaucoma, for the period of 5-20 years, as well as clinical and sectional observations, the authors make a conclusion that in a part of patients the cause of progression of glaucomatous process in normalized intraocular pressure is a descending atrophy of the optic nerve. It is connected with sclerotic changes in the internal carotid and ophthalmic arteries exerting pulsating pressure on intracranial portions of the optic tract (a "basal factor" of glaucoma).