Real-world practice patterns for dry eye diagnosis: a multicenter observational study in Taiwan

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Clinical Research
• Dry Eye Disease Management

Background:

• Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent condition affecting ocular surface health.
• Standardized diagnostic criteria are essential for consistent DED management.
• The Asia Dry Eye Society (ADES) has established specific diagnostic criteria for DED.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the concordance between the ADES diagnostic criteria and current clinical practices for DED in Taiwan.
• To analyze the clinical characteristics and diagnostic markers of patients with DED in a real-world hospital setting.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed data from 213 adult patients newly diagnosed with DED across three tertiary hospitals in Taiwan.
• Key diagnostic parameters included tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer's test, corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores, and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).

Main Results:

• A high concordance (87.3%) was observed between the diagnosed DED cases and the ADES criteria, primarily driven by short TBUT (≤5 sec).
• Short TBUT and elevated OSDI scores demonstrated high sensitivity for DED diagnosis, while Schirmer's test and CFS were less sensitive.
• Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) was present in 56.3% of patients, and common initial treatments included artificial tears and corticosteroids.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms strong agreement between the ADES diagnostic criteria and clinical practice for DED in Taiwan.
• Tear breakup time (TBUT) is identified as a sensitive and effective diagnostic tool for DED across various patient profiles.
• Findings support the utility of ADES criteria in routine clinical settings for accurate dry eye disease diagnosis.