Comparison Of Corneal Epithelial Thickness Profiles Between The Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye Disease And The Evaporative Dry Eye Disease

To compare and characterize corneal epithelial thickness (CET) profiles of the aqueous deficient dry eye disease(DED) and the evaporative DED, we analyzed CET in subjects with Sjogren's syndrome and Meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD).

Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Wonju, Korea

This study investigated the CET profiles in 104 eyes of 52 subjects (26 Sjogren's syndrome and 26 MGD) using the RTVue FD_OCT system (Optovue Inc, Fremont, CA). The CET maps were divided into 25 sectors over a 9 mm corneal diameter and the average values of each sector were compared between 2 groups using t-test. Tear meniscus height (TMH), Noninvasive tear breakup time (NIBUT),lipid layer thickness (LLT), meibography were obtained using IDRA (SBM sistemi, Torino, Italy). Simple regression analysis was conducted to explore the association between CET and other dry eye related variables.

Sjogren syndrome patients showed a lower TMH (0.12 vs. 0.17, P<0.001) and greater corneal staining score (2.9 vs 0.7, P<0.001) than MGD patients, whereas meibomian glad score was greater in MGD. Sjogren syndrome patient showed thinner epithelium than MGD patients in 15 sectors. Thinnest sector was superior periphery in both groups and the difference was the greatest in that area. Corneal staining score was correlated with superior thickness in both groups and inferior thickness was correlated with NIBUT in Sjogren syndrome.

Sjogren syndrome, a prototype of aqueous deficient DED had thinner epithelium than evaporative type DED. CET in superior sector was correlated with cornea staining score in DED.