Tear meniscus height assessment offers preoperative insights into lacrimal passage disorder

Measuring tear meniscus height with anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) can effectively aid in diagnosing lacrimal passage disorder (LPD) in cataract surgery patients, according to a study.

The study involved 66 patients (127 eyes), with LPD identified in 9.4% of cases using lacrimal irrigation tests.

Results showed that the mean tear meniscus height was significantly higher in eyes with LPD compared to those without (P = 0.007). Multiple regression analysis confirmed a strong association between tear meniscus height and LPD (P = 0.000). The optimal tear meniscus height cutoff for detecting LPD was 401.0 μm, offering a sensitivity of 58.3% and a specificity of 83.0% (AUC = 0.740).

These findings support the use of AS-OCT for preoperative assessment, helping to identify LPD in cataract surgery candidates.

Reference
Matsuyama H, Kadomoto S, Hosoda Y, et al. Diagnostic utility of tear meniscus height measurement using anterior segment optical coherence tomography for lacrimal passage disorder before cataract surgery. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):25866. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-75979-w. PMID: 39468099.