Does Intraocular Pressure Correlate with Intracranial Pressure?

A few studies have suggested a relation between intraocular pressure (IOP) and intracranial pressure (ICP). One study, conducted in 50 patients who underwent a lumbar puncture with CSF-opening pressure measurement for diagnosis of various neurologic disorders, suggested a particularly high correlation between ICP and IOP (Ann Neurol 2006; 59:867).

In the current study, the authors measured IOP and ICP in 55 patients who underwent a diagnostic lumbar puncture (69% were diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri). The investigators used Goldmann tonometry (considered the gold standard) to measure intraocular pressure, followed within 5 hours by lumbar puncture to measure ICP.

Mean measured ICP was 274.2 (±102.4) mm H₂O (range, 70–550 mm H₂O). Mean IOP …