Role of Intracranial Pressure in Glaucoma

Our understanding of what if any role intracranial pressure (ICP) plays in the manifestation of the optic neuropathy called glaucoma is only beginning to develop. ICP can have a profound effect on the optic nerve. Edema of the optic nerve head is of course an accepted consequence of elevations in ICP. Venous pulsations are seen in some individuals with normal or low ICP. Therefore some local alterations in the structure, blood supply or axonal transport as a consequence of changes in ICP, possibly in relation to intraocular pressure (IOP), is realistic. This talk will briefly summarize the relationship between ICP and the eye, hypothesized relationships with glaucoma and existing evidence.