Could there be any merit in lumping primary open-angle glaucoma, idiopathic intracranial hypertension and Meniere's disease into a novel and discrete category of fluid tension disorders?

Abstract

Open-angle glaucoma, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and Meniere's disease are disorders managed by different specialties in medicine viz. ophthalmology, neurology, and otorhinolaryngology respectively. By working in silos, the similarity of these disorders is overlooked. Close inspection of these disorders reveals the presence of signs and symptoms triggered by fluid under high pressure within relatively closed chambers. There is a similarity in the capillary production of fluid, which then circulates and drains into the venous system. Management practices that reduce fluid production, decrease fluid pressure or enhance fluid drainage are employed for the treatment of all three disorders. A search for a unifying mechanism explaining the pathophysiology of all three disorders may unlock effective and perhaps curative measures for these disorders.

Keywords: Fluid tension disorders; Idiopathic intracranial hypertension; Meniere’s disease; Primary open angle glaucoma.