The relation between corneal optical quality and clinical ocular surface manifestations in Chinese female with Sjogren's syndrome dry eye.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relation between corneal optical quality and ocular surface manifestations in Chinese female patients with Sjogren's syndrome dry eye (SSDE).

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of female SSDE patients. Demographic information and ophthalmological and rheumatological indicators were collected. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Chinese Dry Eye Questionnaire (CDEQ), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), first and mean noninvasive tear break-up time (FNIBUT and MNIBUT), Schirmer I testing, Oxford Staining Score (OSS), meibomian gland loss (MGL), and optical quality were evaluated using generalized estimating equation (GEE) models. Multinomial logistics regression models and multiple linear regression models were employed to assess the correlations between dry eye indicators and corneal optical quality.

RESULTS

27 SSDE patients (47 eyes), 9 Non-Sjögren's Syndrome dry eye patients (NSSDE, 14 eyes), and 23 normal controls (NC, 44 eyes) were included. More severe dry eye signs and poorer results of corneal optical qualities were found in Chinese female SSDE patients (all p < 0.05). More severe dry eye signs (CDEQ score, FNIBUT, MNIBUT, OSS, Schirmer I test, lipid layer distribution, and MGL) and poorer results of corneal optical qualities (angle α) were found in SSDE patients (all p < 0.05). In addition, there was a significant difference in astigmatism (posterior corneal surface astigmatism, and the types of astigmatism on the anterior and posterior surface of the cornea) between the groups (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese females with DE, and particularly those with concurrent SS, demonstrated poorer ocular surface and corneal optical quality measures than those without DE.