Dry eye syndrome in patients with glaucoma

Abstract

Purpose: Evaluation of the frequency of dry eye syndrome in patients with glaucoma. Methods: The study included 50 patients, aged 45-75 years, hospitalized in the Clinic of Ophthalmology No.2, in July-December 2013, with the diagnosis of primary open angle glaucoma. Patients were examined at the slit lamp, with appreciation of LIPCOF, fluorescein staining, tear break-up time, Schirmer test. Results: The Schirmer test was decreased in 69% of eyes: 30 eyes - with mild xerosis, 24 eyes - with moderate xerosis, 15 eyes - with severe xerosis. Thirty eyes were treated with betablockers, 46 eyes - with beta-blockers and prostaglandin analogues, 24 eyes - with prostaglandin analogues and inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase. Most dry eyes were recorded in the group treated with blockers and prostaglandins (78%), and in the group treated only with beta-blockers (73%). Thirty-eight eyes underwent surgery: the first group (26 eyes) - antiglaucoma filtering operations and the second group (12 eyes)- combined operations antiglaucoma filtering and cataract extraction. In the first group, the Schirmer test was lower in 23 eyes and TBUT in 20 eyes. In the second group - Schirmer reduced in 12 eyes, TBUT - in 10 eyes. Results of Schirmer tests and TBUT depend on the duration of hypotensive medication administration: less than 5 years - xerosis in 63.33% cases, 5-10 years - in 78.13% cases, over 10 years - in 65.79% cases. Conclusions: The results of our study show the existence of the dry eye syndrome in patients with glaucoma (69% of patients had DES). The presence and intensity of the dry eye syndrome depend on the medication administered (Schirmer and TBUT commonly reduced in patients treated with beta- blockers - 58%), surgical treatment applied (92.11% of eyes operated by an antiglaucoma filtering surgery presented DES and 100% of patients who supported a combined surgery) and duration of administration of antihypertensive medication.