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.
