Abstract
Purpose :
To compare the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) of the ocular surface and periorbital skin in normal eyes with dry eyes.
Methods :
Twenty-eight eyes of 28 dry eye patients were studied and nineteen eyes of 19 normal subjects were examined as control. TEWL was evaluated using ventilated chamber evaporimeter system while the subjects’ eyes with both opened and closed. Tear film break-up time (BUT), schirmer I test, ocular staining score (OSS), tear osmolarity, OSDI, and VAS were also evaluated.
Results :
TEWL while eyes opened of dry eye group (63.03 +/- 10.99) were significantly higher than those of the control group (54.74 +/- 14.11; p = 0.014). TEWL while eyes closed of dry eye group (51.93 +/- 11.76) were significantly higher than those of the control group (42.82 +/- 11.99; p = 0.007). BUT (p < 0.001), schirmer I test (p < 0.001), OSS (p < 0.001), tear osmolarity (p = 0.018), OSDI (p < 0.001), and VAS (p < 0.001) were also significantly worse in dry eye group.
Conclusions :
TEWL both with eyes opened and closed were higher in dry eye group compared with the control group. TEWL could be considered as a tool of diagnosis of dry eye in conjunction with other dry eye parameters.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.