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[The effect of artificial tears on corneal surface regularity in dry eye]
1Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510060, China. zuguol@gzsums.edu.cn
Objective:
To evaluate the regularity of corneal surface and the effect of artificial tears on the corneal surface regularity in dry eye.
Methods:
The surface regularity index (SRI), surface asymmetry index (SAI), the indices of TMS-1 corneal topography system, and potential visual acuity (PVA) were used to investigate the corneal regularity and corneal vision in 33 normal subjects (64 eyes) and 22 dry eye patients (42 eyes) before and after instillation of artificial tears.
Results:
The SRI and SAI were significantly elevated and the PVA was remarkably decreased in patients with dry eye compared to that of normal subjects (P < 0.001). The average amount of astigmatism was also significantly increased in dry eye compared to that in normal eyes (P = 0.02). In the patients with dry eye, the SRI and SAI were positively correlated with corneal fluorescein staining scores. The SRI, SAI and astigmatism were significantly reduced, the PVA was improved and the irregular topographic pattern was markedly decreased in the dry eyes after the usage of artificial tears.
Conclusion:
The dry eye has an irregular corneal surface and the indices of TMS-1, SRI and SAI can be used to objectively diagnose this disorder, evaluate the severity of the dry eye and the effect of artificial tears on it. Artificial tears can smooth the corneal surface and improve the visual acuity in patients with dry eye.