Monitoring daily intraocular pressure fluctuations with self-tonometry in healthy subjects.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of the intraocular pressure (IOP) measured by healthy subjects with icare® Home and to observe the IOP fluctuation and pattern of IOP fluctuation in healthy subjects over three consecutive days.

METHODS: Sixty healthy subjects were recruited to the study. IOP was measured by the subjects themselves and by study staff using icare® Home tonometers on visits 1 and 2, as well as by study staff using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT). Furthermore, the subjects measured their IOP at home for three consecutive days.

RESULTS: Twenty-three per cent of the study eyes were excluded in the statistical analysis due to dropout or non-compliance to the schedule. Approximately 70% of the icare® Home measurements were within 3 mmHg of the GAT measurements. Ten to 16% of the study eyes had IOP peaks outside office hours. Sixty-three per cent of the study eyes had different IOP patterns on consecutive days.

CONCLUSION: Rebound self-tonometry appears to be accurate and could be used to monitor short- and long-term IOP variations. The difference between IOP patterns on consecutive days raises questions as to the certainty of a single IOP measurement as a measure of treatment effect.