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Dysfunctional tear syndrome patients have morphologic changes in superficial corneal epithelium

Am J Ophthalmol. 2009;148(3):376-382.

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Patients with dysfunctional tear syndrome showed morphologic changes in the superficial corneal epithelium that correlate with blurred vision symptoms when imaged by laser scanning confocal microscopy, a study found.

The prospective case-control study looked at 31 patients who had recently been diagnosed with dysfunctional tear syndrome and a control group of 21 asymptomatic patients. Dysfunctional tear syndrome was rated by the four levels of clinical severity from the Delphi dry eye panel report criteria.

The researchers used the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 2 Rostock Cornea Module (Heidelberg) laser scanning confocal microscope for imaging the superficial corneal epithelium.

"The mean area of opaque superficial corneal epithelial cells was significantly greater in [dysfunctional tear syndrome] patients than in normal subjects (P < .0001)," the authors said. "Significant differences were observed between the [dysfunctional tear syndrome] severity groups and the control group (P < .001), except for the dysfunctional tear syndrome one group. The area of opaque cells significantly increased with level of clinical severity."