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Roger Vogel, MD, MCOphth; Ellen R. Strahlman, MD, MHS
Blue Bell, Pa

Arch Ophthalmol. 1994;112(6):726-727.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The interesting article by Rossetti et al¹ in the January 1993 issue of the ARCHIVES raises an old question: Can placebo-controlled studies be ethically justified when dealing with a potentially blinding disease? The authors adopt a tone that is critical of the substantial research that has been carried out in the management of glaucoma by lowering intraocular pressure; however, they show little appreciation of the three long-standing issues that researchers face in this area.^2-4 First, in the presence of visual field loss or optic nerve changes, the relationship between elevated intraocular pressure and the extent of glaucomatous damage at the moment of diagnosis is well established. Second, apart from gross changes in the optic nerve head and visual field (on which there would be little disagreement), there are no universally accepted and validated end points for lesser stages of glaucomatous damage. Third, in many patients, especially those receiving . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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