The intraocular pressure (IOP) course during the first postoperative month was measured with Goldmann applanation tonometry in 93 eyes. The patients include 30 eyes of intracapsular cataract extraction (ICCE), 32 eyes of extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and 31 eyes of ECCE combined with posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC-IOL) implantation. The preoperative average IOP was 13.30 +/- 3.24 mmHg in 93 eyes. The first day after cataract extraction was 25.33 +/- 8.18 mmHg and 59 eyes (63.44%) had an IOP higher than 23 mmHg. On the second day it was 16.03 +/- 7.54 mmHg. On the third day it was 14.69 +/- 5.45 mmHg. On the seventh day it was 13.32 +/- 3.44 mmHg and only 2 eyes (2.14%) IOP was higher than 23 mmHg. The first postoperative month average IOP was 12.93 +/- 1.31 mmHg and it was above 23 mmHg in only one eye. When compared with preoperation a significant increase in IOP was found postoperatively. But on the seventh day and after the first month there was no significant difference (P greater than 0.05). The IOP rise among ICCE group, ECCE group and PC-IOL group did not differ significantly.