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Anterior High-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography in the Diagnosis and Therapeutic Monitoring of Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia
Published on: August 9, 2024
Corneal epithelial opacity in dysfunctional tear syndrome
Joseph J Chen1, Kavita Rao, Stephen C Pflugfelder
1Ocular Surface Center, Cullen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
American Journal of Ophthalmology
|June 23, 2009
Summary
Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed significant changes in the superficial corneal epithelium of patients with dysfunctional tear syndrome (DTS). These findings correlate with symptom severity, aiding in DTS classification and treatment monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Corneal Science
- Microscopy
Background:
- Dysfunctional Tear Syndrome (DTS) affects the ocular surface.
- Assessing epithelial changes in DTS is crucial for understanding disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare superficial corneal epithelium appearance in DTS patients versus controls using laser scanning confocal microscopy.
- To correlate confocal findings with clinical severity in DTS.
Main Methods:
- Prospective case-control study involving 31 DTS patients and 21 controls.
- Laser scanning confocal microscopy (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 2 Rostock Cornea Module) imaged the corneal epithelium.
- Quantified opaque superficial epithelial cells and correlated with clinical parameters.
Main Results:
- DTS patients showed a significantly greater area of opaque superficial epithelial cells compared to controls (P < .0001).
- Opaque cell area increased with DTS clinical severity (DTS 1-4).
- Confocal findings significantly correlated with blurred vision, visual acuity, and staining scores.
Conclusions:
- Morphologic changes in the corneal epithelium detected by confocal microscopy correlate with DTS severity.
- Objective confocal analysis can aid in DTS classification and therapy monitoring.
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