This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Gasser, P. Articles by Mahler, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gasser, P. Articles by Mahler, F. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Do Vasospasms Provoke Ocular Diseases?

Department of Internal Medicine, St. Claraspital, Basel, Switzerland

J. Flammer, M.D.

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

U. Guthauser, M.D.

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

F. Mahler, M.D.

From the Department of Angiology, University of Beme, Beme, Switzerland

Vasospasms in the eye are often combined with digital vasospasms, as can be diagnosed with a nailfold capillaroscopic local cooling test.

In 16 patients with a history of cold hands and feet the presence of peripheral vasospasms without any underlying disease was demonstrated by means of nailfold video-capillaroscopy. These patients showed the phenomenologic diagnosis of low-tension glaucoma with visual field defects characteristic of glaucoma even though intraocular pressure above 21 mmHg was excluded. The visual field defects were not homonymous, indicating a prechiasmal location of the vascular disturbance.

Ocular vasospasms cause visual field damage that can be aggravated or provoked by cooling one hand in cold water and that often improves after treatment with the calcium channel blocker nifedipine. The results suggest that vasospasms not only are present in Raynaud's disease, migraine, and Prinzmetal's variant angina but also may be an important factor in the genesis of low-tension glaucoma. This is a new finding and may be related to a general vasospastic syndrome.

Angiology, Vol. 41, No. 3, 213-220 (1990)
DOI: 10.1177/000331979004100306


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Manz Hydration and Disease J. Am. Coll. Nutr., October 1, 2007; 26(suppl_5): 535S - 541S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Henry, D. E. Newby, D. J. Webb, P. W. F. Hadoke, and C. J. O'Brien Altered endothelin-1 vasoreactivity in patients with untreated normal-pressure glaucoma. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., June 1, 2006; 47(6): 2528 - 2532. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. D. Gilmore, C. Hudson, D. Preiss, and J. Fisher Retinal arteriolar diameter, blood velocity, and blood flow response to an isocapnic hyperoxic provocation Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, June 1, 2005; 288(6): H2912 - H2917. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. J. M. Cleophas and M. G. Niemeyer Raynaud's Syndrome, an Enigma After 130 Years Angiology, March 1, 1993; 44(3): 196 - 209. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. Gasser, P. Muller, D. Mauli, and C. Staubli Evaluation of Reflex Cold Provocation by Laser Doppler Flowmetry in Clinically Healthy Subjects with a History of Cold Hands Angiology, May 1, 1992; 43(5): 389 - 394. [Abstract] [PDF]