Vascular pathophysiology of the ocular postural response. A pneumatonometric study.

The technique of pneumatic tonometry has been used to study new aspects of the response of the intraocular pressure to change of body position. The pneumatonographic procedure permits the intraocular pressure to be recoorded independent of body position. A modification of the procedure is described for the measurement of the ophthalmic arterial pressure and for the analysis of the change in intraocular pulse with increased intraocular pressure. The magnitude and symmetry of the postural response in normal healthy individuals have been found to contrast with the magnitude, stability, and asymmetry of the postural response in patients with ocular and arterial occlusive diseases. The abnormality of the postural response in a patient with severe occlusive disease is shown to parallel asymmetric and low ophthalmic arterial pressures.