Double-blind study in the treatment of normal tension glaucoma with naftidrofuryl.

Naftidrofuryl is an antiserotonin S2-specific agent, with the three following effects: (1) peripheral vasodilatation, (2) antiaggregation and (3) increase in cellular metabolic. These effects could be interesting in the management of the optic nerve ischemia of glaucomatous patients and especially of those with normal tension glaucoma. The administration of 2 x 200 mg/day of naftidrofuryl during 6 weeks to 12 patients with normal tension glaucoma has shown an improvement of the visual acuity and the visual field compared with a 6-week period of placebo administration, with a double-blind study method. It suggested that naftidrofuryl might be administered as a useful complement to conventional hypotensive therapy, since it acts positively on the glaucomatous optic nerve damage.