Common ocular findings in patients with acne rosacea

To evaluate ocular surface manifestations in patients with acne rosecea (AR) and to find out main features indicating a propensity toward an association with disease diagnosis.

Right eyes of consecutive 76 AR patients and 113 age-gender matched healthy subjects were enrolled. Ophthalmologic examinations including tear break-up time (t-BUT) and Schirmer-2 tests to analyze tear film insufficiency, optical coherence tomography (OCT)-assisted infrared meibography to analyze meibomian gland drop-out, and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire were performed in all participants.

No statistically differences were found in visual acuity, intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, and axial length assessments between the study and control eyes. Study eyes had more foreign body sensation, itching, dryness, hyperemia, conjunctival telangiectasia, and meibomitis (p ≤ 0.005, for all). Significantly higher t-BUT and Schirmer-2 tests; lower-eyelid and total OCT meibography; and OSDI scores were found in AR patients (p < 0.05, for all). Among all, only conjunctival telangiectasia (p = 0.001; OR:0.070, 95% CI:0.015-0.330) was found to be major independent predictor for AR diagnosis.

Detailed slit-lamp examination to detect any conjunctival telangiectasia seems to be crucial in recalcitrant dry eye cases, not to miss underlying AR. Especially, lower-eyelid OCT meibography score may be sensitively used for disease staging.