Pinteraction of sex steroid hormones with the eye

Many epidemiologic and laboratory studies in the recent past suggested that the physiology of the eye may be affected by alterations in sex steroid homeostasis due to ageing and pathogenesis. This hypothesis is again strengthened by the presence of specific receptors for steroid hormones in various ocular tissues. However their involvement in pathological process is not yet clearly established. This review deals with a viewpoint on the possible beneficial and detrimental effects of sex steroids on ocular physiopathology. Since sex steroids are different in males and females, an interesting concept of sexual dimorphism in human eye also emerges from this information.