Self-tonometry in glaucoma management--past, present and future.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. Diagnosis and management of glaucoma is significantly associated with intraocular pressure, but contemporary office-based measurements are not sufficient to discover diurnal changes and spikes, nor do they demonstrate the effect of medication and compliance. Patient-directed self-tonometry can be taken throughout the day and is therefore the subject of much discussion and research. In this article we review the history of self-tonometry devices and present technologies for the future.