Correlation between ocular hypertension induced by ibopamine and perimetric defect in primary open-angle glaucoma

In 35 patients with bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), with asymmetrical evolution of the neuropticopathy between the two eyes, we compared within each patient, the response to ibopamine and the perimetric defect. In 88% of cases (31/35 patients) the eye with the most severe perimetric defect had high intraocular pressure or a larger IOP increase after ibopamine. This result was highly significant at the sign test (P < 0.001). IOP and its increase after ibopamine significantly differed in the most and least affected eye, being higher in the eye with the most impaired visual field. Since ibopamine can be used to quantify the hydrodynamic impairment, which is thus presumably correlated to the perimetric defect. This study further confirms its importance in the development of glaucomatous damage.