Occurrence of Glaucoma in Acromegalics

The loss of visual field is a common sign of acromegaly, and if such loss is progressive, it is frequently considered an indication for definitive therapy in the form of radiation to or surgical extirpation of the offending pituitary adenoma.1,2Hence, recognition of all factors producing a visual deficit is of importance in the management of these patients. For this reason, a study of the ocular findings in a group of patients with acromegaly was undertaken, with particular reference to the occurrence of glaucoma. In a recent review of 100 patients with acromegaly, it was reported that visual disturbances had occurred in 39.1Most commonly, these disturbances were bitemporal field defects, and in the most severe cases there was also optic atrophy. There was no mention of the intraocular pressure in any of these patients. The sella turcica was of normal size in 24 of the 100, yet