Pediatric dry eye: A hospital-based study.

PURPOSE: To assess the hospital-based prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) among children aged 4 to 18 years and to identify associated risk factors.

METHODS

A prospective observational case series was conducted at a tertiary care center. A total of 1,420 pediatric patients attending the ophthalmology outpatient department were initially screened using a symptom-based questionnaire. Those with suggestive symptoms underwent further evaluation, including the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Schirmer's test, tear film break-up time (TBUT), fluorescein and lissamine green staining, and a comprehensive ocular examination.

RESULTS

Of the total 1420 children, 124 reported symptoms consistent with DED, and 108 (7.60%) were confirmed to have dry eye. The male-to-female ratio was 2.08:1, with a mean age of 11.40 ± 3.86 years. Among affected children, 85.18% had OSDI scores between 33 and 100, and 14.81% scored between 23 and 32. Notably, 46.29% of patients used smartphones, 68.04% watched television for 1-2 h daily, and 63.88% were diagnosed with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. Comorbidities included hematological malignancies (n = 3) and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (n = 1). The mean Schirmer's test values were 30.33 ± 8.05 mm (right eye [RE]) and 30.68 ± 8.03 mm (left eye [LE]). The mean TBUT was 6.66 ± 2.32 s (RE) and 7.53 ± 3.16 s (LE). Most patients (92.59%) had evaporative DED, while 7.40% had the mixed type.

CONCLUSION

DED should be considered in children presenting with nonspecific ocular complaints. Evaporative dry eye in this population is strongly associated with allergic conjunctivitis and prolonged use of digital devices.