Intraocular pressure in schizophrenic patients treated with psychiatric medications.

PURPOSE In order to assess the occurrence of adverse ocular effects of antipsychotic drugs, we sought to evaluate intraocular pressure of schizophrenic patients treated with psychiatric medications. METHODS Twenty-eight outpatients with DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia who met both the inclusion and exclusion criteria were submitted to an ophthalmic evaluation for ocular abnormalities which included intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometry. RESULTS Raised intraocular pressure was found in three patients (11%). Abnormality in cup-disc ratio was seen in only one patient with cup-disc ratio asymmetry of 0.4. All these four patients were taking only ziprasidone. CONCLUSIONS Patients using ziprasidone were found to have abnormalities in both intraocular pressure and cup-disc ratio.