Recent advances and future prospects in the medical treatment of ocular hypertension.

Adrenaline provides an excellent local treatment for chronic simple glaucoma and for some cases of secondary glaucoma. It is strictly contraindicated in congestive (narrow-angle) glaucoma. Its action results from a reduction of the aqueous flow, but the mechanism of this reduction is unknown. The association of a medication reducing the aqueous flow with a medication reducing the resistance to the flow (e.g. adrenaline, DFP) is followed by very pronounced effects on the tension. It is possible that in the future this combined medical treatment will reduce the necessity for surgery.