Correlations between symptoms and signs of dry eye disease are generally weak
Correlations between symptoms and signs of dry eye disease (DED) are generally weak, both at baseline and when observing changes over a 12-month period, according to a study.
The study, conducted through the Dry Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) study, analyzed 535 patients with moderate-to-severe DED. While some weak correlations were found between specific symptoms and signs, the overall relationship between them remains limited.
In addition, the study highlighted that correlations among the objective signs of DED were generally low to moderate, with the strongest correlation observed between conjunctival staining score and corneal staining score.
The research underscores the complexity of DED and the challenges in establishing strong links between the symptoms reported by patients and the objective signs detected through clinical assessments.
Reference
Tawfik A, Pistilli M, Maguire MG, et al; Dry Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) Study Research Group. Association of Dry Eye Symptoms and Signs in Patients with Dry Eye Disease. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2023;1-9. doi: 10.1080/09286586.2023.2248629. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37592829.
