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Neuropathic pain and dry eye.
Anat Galor1, Hamid-Reza Moein2, Charity Lee3
1Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, USA; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
The Ocular Surface
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Dry eye disease shares similarities with neuropathic pain, suggesting new diagnostic and treatment approaches. Understanding these connections can improve patient care for both conditions.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Dry eye disease is a prevalent, complex condition diagnosed using symptoms and clinical signs.
- Neuropathic pain, a distinct pain condition, exhibits similar epidemiological and clinical characteristics to dry eye.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and highlight the parallels between dry eye disease and neuropathic pain.
- To explore the implications of these similarities for diagnosing and treating dry eye.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of clinical features.
- Review of somatosensory function studies.
- Examination of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Dry eye and neuropathic pain share commonalities in patient presentation and disease course.
- Similarities exist in somatosensory alterations and pathophysiological pathways.
Conclusions:
- The overlap between dry eye and neuropathic pain suggests a potential neuropathic component in dry eye.
- Recognizing these similarities may lead to novel diagnostic criteria and therapeutic strategies for dry eye.
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