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The eye in cystic fibrosis
I Castagna1, A M Roszkowska, F Famà
1Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Messina, Italy.
European Journal of Ophthalmology
|April 4, 2001
Summary
Cystic fibrosis patients show ocular surface and lens changes, worsening with digestive issues. Non-invasive tests may help assess cystic fibrosis severity.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pulmonology
- Genetics
Background:
- Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder affecting multiple organs.
- Digestive insufficiency is a common complication in CF patients.
- Ocular surface and lens health can be impacted by systemic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine ocular surface and lens transparency changes in CF patients.
- To correlate these ocular changes with the severity of digestive insufficiency.
- To evaluate the utility of non-invasive tests for assessing CF severity.
Main Methods:
- Studied 40 CF patients and 24 healthy controls.
- Assessed ocular surface using tear tests and conjunctival exfoliative cytology.
- Measured lens transparency with an Opacity Lens Meter.
- Evaluated digestive insufficiency using the steatocrit method.
Main Results:
- CF patients exhibited significant conjunctival cytology changes and lens opacity.
- Abnormal tear tests were prevalent in CF patients.
- Ocular alterations were more severe in CF patients with pronounced digestive insufficiency.
Conclusions:
- CF patients experience ocular surface abnormalities and lens modifications.
- The severity of these ocular changes is linked to digestive insufficiency.
- Non-invasive tear tests and cytology can aid in assessing CF severity.