Measuring the lacunar sulci as a new indicator of shrinkage of the ocular surface.

PURPOSE: To present a new indicator that measures the sulci of the lacrimal lake of the eye according to the degrees of ocular abduction at which they vanish. This new approach will help determine the severity and progression of mucosal retraction in ocular surface diseases.

METHODS

A total of 181 eyes of 94 healthy persons, 130 eyes of 65 patients with Sjogren's syndrome, and 30 eyes of 15 patients with ocular pemphigoid were examined using the slit lamp. We recorded the vanishing point of the three main lacunar sulci (plico-bulbar, plicocaruncular and dermo-caruncular) while abducting.

RESULTS

In healthy persons, the average vanishing points for the first and second lacunar sulci were respectively, 53.20 +/- 12.3 and 54.50 +/- 9.8. In patients with Sjogren's syndrome, 49.53 degrees +/- 10.81 and 53.17 degrees +/- 7.28 and in patients with incipient ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, 42.69 degrees +/- 14.33 and 44.46 degrees +/- 16.85. Statistical significance was p < 0.005.

CONCLUSIONS

The lacunar sulci are shallower and vanish sooner in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and Sjogren syndrome than in normals. Investigating the vanishing point of the lacunar sulci while abducting is useful for grading the shrinkage of the conjunctiva, caruncle and medial canthus.