Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate and explore the morphologic and hemodynamic features of bulbar conjunctival vessels in Sjogren’s syndrome dry eye (SSDE) and non-Sjogren dry eye (NSDE) patients with similar symptom based on Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score.
Methods :
Total 51 dry eye patients, 17 with Sjogren and 34 without Sjogren, were recruited and underwent a complete ophthalmic examination for initial baseline, including Custom-built optical imaging system for human bulbar conjunctiva and meiboscore using the LipiView® II, Ocular Surface Interferometer. Vascular variables including the blood flow rate (BFR), blood flow velocity (BFV), and average diameter (D) in microvascular networks were measured and analyzed using deep learning-based stabilization algorithms. The correlations among microvascular parameters and meiboscore were analyzed.
Results :
The D of conjunctival microvessels in SSDE was 12.99±2.48um, which was significantly higher than that in NNSE (9.43±3.98um, p<0.05). And D was positively correlated with BFR in NSDE (r=0.608), whereas no significant correlation was shown in SSDE. Other parameters of conjunctival microvessels (BFR and BFV ) were not significantly different between groups. BFR in NSDE was positively correlated with upper and lower meiboscore (r=0.399, r=0.419, respectively), which showed no significant correlation in SSDE.
Conclusions :
This study identified conjunctival microvascular alterations in SSDE and NSDE with similar symptom : the diameter of microvessels can be a key distinguishing SSDE and NSDE. Unlike NSDE, the mechanism other than MGD is thought to be involved with this alteration in SSDE.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.