Conjunctival Cytological Alterations in Ocular Behçet Disease

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Immunology
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Ocular Behçet disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the eyes.
• Understanding its impact on the ocular surface is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate ocular surface changes and tear film abnormalities in patients with ocular BD.
• To compare these findings with a healthy control group.

Main Methods:

• Schirmer I and tear break-up time (TBUT) tests were performed to assess tear film.
• Impression cytology evaluated morphological alterations of conjunctival epithelial cells.
• The study included 48 patients with inactive ocular BD and 33 controls.

Main Results:

• Patients with ocular BD exhibited significantly lower Schirmer I test results (11.6 mm/5 min vs. 16.1 mm/5 min) and TBUT values (9.8 s vs. 13.2 s) compared to controls.
• Impression cytology revealed significantly higher scores in the ocular BD group (1.3 vs. 0.4), indicating altered conjunctival morphology.
• Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences in all measured parameters (P < 0.011).

Conclusions:

• Ocular BD leads to significant disruptions in tear film function.
• Conjunctival surface epithelial cells show notable morphological changes in ocular BD patients.
• These findings highlight the detrimental effects of ocular BD on the ocular surface environment.