Correlation Between Dry Eye and Pterygium
Rola Abd El-Gawad Serag Eldin;
Abstract
Pterygium is a common external ocular disease that is characterized by fibrovascular overgrowth of the bulbar conjunctival tissue onto the cornea. It is a common disorder of the ocular surface, with a prevalence of 2% in temperate areas and up to 20% in tropical regions.
The pathogenesis behind its formation is not fully understood. It has been well established that there are different interrelated factors involved in the growth of pterygia.
DED is a multifactorial disorder of the tear film and ocular surface that results in eye discomfort, visual disturbance, and possible ocular surface damage. Dysfunction of any LFU component can lead to DED by altering the volume, composition, distribution, and/or clearance of the tear film. There are two major etiologic categories of DED: aqueous deficient and evaporative. However, regardless of etiology, tear hyperosmolarity and tear film instability have been identified as global, mutually reinforcing mechanisms. In addition, inflammation is a key factor in precipitating DED.
The diagnosis of DED is based in part on the patient’s history and symptoms and in part on the application of specific tests. Several non-invasive tests exist (e.g. slit-lamp examination, meniscometry, interferometry). Mildly invasive tests are the fluorescein tests and staining with lissamine green. Markedly invasive tests include the Schirmer test and staining with rose bengal. Additional histological procedure is the impression cytology.
Measurement of tear osmolarity might provide a “gold standard” of diagnosis, but a practical tear osmolarity test is not yet widely available. Measurement of tear film instability by means of a TBUT test has good overall accuracy and may be more repeatable than many other diagnostic tests.
Since the preocular tear film is the first line of defence against environmental injury, including ultraviolet exposure (which is believed to be the key factor of pterygium development), many authors hypothesize that an abnormal tear function is a risk factor for diseases resulting from ultraviolet exposure, including pterygium. In contrast, other authors suggest the reverse sequence: pathological conjunctival, corneal, or eyelid changes in pterygia lead to disturbed tear film function
The relationship between pterygium and tear film function has proved difficult to define. Most of the recent studies suggest that pterygium has a close relationship with dry eye, although it still remains unclear which disorder is causative. It is likely that the two disorders may affect each other's development.
The pathogenesis behind its formation is not fully understood. It has been well established that there are different interrelated factors involved in the growth of pterygia.
DED is a multifactorial disorder of the tear film and ocular surface that results in eye discomfort, visual disturbance, and possible ocular surface damage. Dysfunction of any LFU component can lead to DED by altering the volume, composition, distribution, and/or clearance of the tear film. There are two major etiologic categories of DED: aqueous deficient and evaporative. However, regardless of etiology, tear hyperosmolarity and tear film instability have been identified as global, mutually reinforcing mechanisms. In addition, inflammation is a key factor in precipitating DED.
The diagnosis of DED is based in part on the patient’s history and symptoms and in part on the application of specific tests. Several non-invasive tests exist (e.g. slit-lamp examination, meniscometry, interferometry). Mildly invasive tests are the fluorescein tests and staining with lissamine green. Markedly invasive tests include the Schirmer test and staining with rose bengal. Additional histological procedure is the impression cytology.
Measurement of tear osmolarity might provide a “gold standard” of diagnosis, but a practical tear osmolarity test is not yet widely available. Measurement of tear film instability by means of a TBUT test has good overall accuracy and may be more repeatable than many other diagnostic tests.
Since the preocular tear film is the first line of defence against environmental injury, including ultraviolet exposure (which is believed to be the key factor of pterygium development), many authors hypothesize that an abnormal tear function is a risk factor for diseases resulting from ultraviolet exposure, including pterygium. In contrast, other authors suggest the reverse sequence: pathological conjunctival, corneal, or eyelid changes in pterygia lead to disturbed tear film function
The relationship between pterygium and tear film function has proved difficult to define. Most of the recent studies suggest that pterygium has a close relationship with dry eye, although it still remains unclear which disorder is causative. It is likely that the two disorders may affect each other's development.
Other data
| Title | Correlation Between Dry Eye and Pterygium | Other Titles | تقييم العلاقة بين جفاف العين و مرض الظفرة | Authors | Rola Abd El-Gawad Serag Eldin | Issue Date | 2014 |
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