Effect of topical anesthetics on intraocular pressure and pachymetry

PURPOSE: The determination of intraocular pressure (IOP) by noncontact tonometry (NCT) has been reported to be affected by central corneal thickness (CCT) and by the instillation of topical anesthetics. METHODS: In order to determine the influence of topical anesthetics on CCT and IOP measured by NCT, 80 eyes from 49 patients were examined before and after the instillation of topical anesthetics. RESULTS: Average age was 55.3 years (SD 18.4, range 18 to 93). Twenty-eight patients were female and 21 were male. Average basal IOP was 16.1 mmHg (SD 5.2, range 8 to 35.3). IOP was 14.8 mmHg (SD 4.6, 7.4 to 32.4) (p=0.0005, Student t test for paired data) 5 minutes after topical anesthetics instillation. CCT averaged 541 micronm (SD 32, range 482 to 604) before topical anesthetic drops and 541 micronm (SD 32, 490 to 607, p=0.89, Student t test for paired data) 5 minutes after topical anesthetics instillation. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms that the instillation of topical anesthetics causes a reduction in IOP. These changes do not seem to be associated with changes in CCT.