Conjunctivochalasis, tear osmolarity associated with reduced conjunctival epithelial thickness in DED

Ocular surface epithelial thickness is correlated with tear osmolarity and conjunctivochalasis in patients with dry eye disease, according to a study.

In this case-control study including 50 patients with dry eye disease and 15 age- and sex-matched control subjects, corneal and bulbar conjunctival epithelial thickness (CET) were recorded.

Patients with aqueous deficient dry eye disease had lower bulbar CET values than normal participants and patients with evaporative type dry eye disease. The difference however was not statistically significant.

In temporal and inferior regions, patients with dry eye disease and conjunctivochalasis had lower bulbar CET values compared with patients with dry eye disease without conjunctivochalasis.

Tear osmolarity was negatively correlated with CET values in the temporal bulbar region and central corneal epithelial thickness values in the dry eye disease group.

Reference
Gumus K, Pflugelder SC. Conjunctivochalasis and tear osmolarity are associated with reduced conjunctival epithelial thickness in dry eye. Am J Ophthalmol. 2021;DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2021.02.009.