Non-contact confocal microscopy of the tear film in unoperated eyes.

PURPOSE: The NIDEK ConfoScan4 (CS4) is a digital scanning slit confocal microscope. The corneal structure and tear film can be viewed, magnified, measured, and photographed at magnifications up to 500x, in vivo, in a noninvasive manner. The objective of this study was to evaluate and illustrate various conditions related to dry eye using the CS4 confocal microscope with the 20x noncontact lens.

METHODS

The CS4 was used to evaluate the natural tear film in 58 eyes of 29 patients with normal examinations, allergic conjunctivitis, nonspecific conjunctivitis, and dry eyes. In a subset of this patient population, subjective and objective findings were used to classify mild, moderate, and severe dry eye disease states. The usefulness of confocal microscopy as an objective tool to diagnose and manage different tear film-related ocular disease was also evaluated.

RESULTS

The differences in tear film composition were visible using confocal microscopy. Photographs demonstrate confocal noncontact 20x microscopy as a diagnostic tool.

CONCLUSIONS

Noncontact confocal microscopy is a valuable tool in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye syndrome and other ocular states such as allergic and nonspecific conjunctivitis. It provides a simple and effective way to observe, classify, and treat the tear film. As investigators visualize and learn more, understanding of this structure will continue to improve.