Abstract

P 217

Visual field improvement by acupuncture in burnt out juvenile open angle glaucoma

Andreas Christian Schroeder, Tania Brachtendorf, Berthold Seitz
Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätskliniken des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar

Objective
While acupuncture is primarily used for treatment of psychics and pain in Western Europe, in its country of origin it plays an important role in ophthalmology, as well. Aim of this poster was to raise interest in this old art of medicine by giving an example of successful treatment.
Methods
We present a 47-year-old male patient suffering from juvenile glaucoma in the left eye more than in the right. While the right side was compensated after 4 interventions resulting in full vision and unharmed visual field, the left eye has needed more than 20 surgical treatments since 1983. With 4-fold topical therapy eccentric visual acuity was 0.05 and no central visual field was detectable. Two series of 9 acupuncture treatments were performed by an experienced doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. Eye pressure was determined before and after treatment and visual fields were obtained after each series.
Results
In accordance with the Chinese approach of compensative effects higher tension values were lowered more than moderately raised tension values. Decreases between 5-6 mmHg were repeatedly achieved. After the first acupuncture series values of 2-3 dB were detected within the central 15° of the visual field, after the second series even 11 dB. Four months after the last treatment these values were still stable.
Conclusions
Acupuncture may provide unique chances even in university tertiary care medicine as adjuvant modality. Especially when taking care of patients with long lasting and serious disorders being difficult to treat, alternative methods should be considered additionally. This case demonstrates that under close scientific supervision successful effects of traditional Chinese medicine can be detectable, which cannot yet be fully explained solely by western standards of medicine.

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