ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Oftalmologica 2012 June;54(2):47-52

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Variation of intraocular pressure during endoscopic diagnostic procedures

Morreale Bubella R. ¹, Morreale Bubella D. ¹, Geraci G. ², Pisello F. ², Sciumè C. ²

¹ Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Experimental, Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience (BioNeC), Palermo, Italy; ² Section of General and Thoracic Surgery. Service of Surgical Endoscopy, Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

Aim. The aim of this study was to detect any possible variations of intraocular pressure (IOP) occurring in non-glaucomatous subjects undergone endoscopic examinations such as gastroscopy or colonoscopy, in order to evaluate the role of mental stress in such changes.
Methods. Heart rate and ocular tone were measured before and immediately after the endoscopic procedures and 30’ after the administration of a benzodiazepine antagonist in 100 subjects, 52 men and 48 women, undergone to gastroscopy, colonoscopy, or both examinations on the same occasion.
Results. Heart rate went down from 82.10±14.41 to 76.11±10.96 30’ after the administration of flumazenil with a significant reduction (P>0.001). The IOP was also considerably reduced, from 15.25±2.88 mmHg before the examination to 12.98±2.16 mmHg 30’ after the administration of the benzodiazepine antagonist (P=0.001).
Conclusion. On the basis of the results of our study, we are able to state that mental stress caused by invasive diagnostic procedures, brings about an IOP increase, which, in certain subjects, may reach pathological levels.