AIM: To describe a newly-recognized entity, illustrated by five cases of glaucoma in whom trauma to the head, but not the eye, resulted in marked, transient elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP). METHODS: Retrospective case series. Chart review. RESULTS: All five cases had a diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma prior to the experience of trauma to the head. All cases had an unusual elevation of IOP (around 70 percent) for days to weeks following the trauma, after which the IOP fell to pre-accident levels. No cause other than the trauma could be determined. CONCLUSION: The relationship between head trauma and elevation of IOP appears real.