Abstract
Purpose :
This research aims to establish the equivalence of a novel non-contact esthesiometer (NCE) (Brill Engines, Spain) with the current gold standard, the Cochet-Bonnet (CB) esthesiometer, in assessing corneal sensitivity among patients with dry eye disease (DED). The goal is to determine its suitability as a screening tool with the ultimate aim of integrating it into routine clinical practice.
Methods :
A total of 50 patients (100 eyes) diagnosed with DED were included. Inclusion criteria encompassed individuals presenting with symptoms and/or signs of DED (OSDI ≥ 13, and/or corneal staining ≥ 3 using the Oxford scale). Exclusion criteria included previous radiation treatment, pregnancy, and age < 21 or > 90. To ensure a meaningful comparison between NCE and CB, a unit standardization process was implemented, converting measurements of both devices to millinewtons (mN). Diagnostic procedures included corneal sensitivity tests using Brill’s NCE and Cochet-Bonnet. The agreement between measurements was analyzed using Bland–Altman plot. The bias was defined as the mean of the difference between 2 devices, and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) refer to 1.96 standard deviations (SD) of mean difference.
Results :
The mean age of the dry eye patients was 66.06 ± 12.00 years old and 88% were female. The mean value of corneal sensitivity was 0.056 ± 0.022 mN (NCE) and 0.023 ± 0.005 mN (CB). The Bland-Altman analysis revealed an 80% agreement between CB and NCE, with a 0.032 mN difference in bias (95% LOA: -0.007 to 0.07mN).
Conclusions :
Our analyses revealed a substantial degree of similarity between NCE and CB esthesiometers when used in patients with dry eye disease. This study suggests that NCE could be used for screening corneal sensitivity disorders in dry eye patients, effectively addressing critical shortcomings associated with CB, such as sterilization challenges, risk of corneal abrasion, and potential technician bias, among others.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.