Intraocular pressure changes in secondary positions of gaze in normal subjects and in restrictive ocular motility disorders.

One hundred normal Caucasian eyes and 29 eyes with restrictive disorders of ocular motility were studied in order to delineate intraocular pressure changes in secondary positions of gaze. Applanation tonometry was performed in the primary position and at an angle of 22 degrees. In patients with restrictive syndromes the changes of intraocular pressure in the secondary positions of gaze were significantly higher (p less than 0.0001) than in normal subjects. The range of variation in normal subjects was 0, +3 mmHg for supraduction and -3, +1 mmHg for abduction. Patients with restrictive syndromes showed changes between +1 and +15 mmHg for supraduction and between +3 and +10 mmHg for abduction. Results obtained in the two groups showed the existence of false negatives. This test is thus a practical and useful diagnostic tool, but its results must be evaluated cautiously.