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Ocular surface epithelial thickness evaluation with spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography in patients with dry eye syndrome
Author(s) -
FRANCOZ M,
KARAMOKO I,
BAUDOUIN C,
LABBE A
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2011.417.x
Subject(s) - ophthalmology , optical coherence tomography , medicine , corneal epithelium , significant difference , cornea
Purpose To use spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT) to measure corneal, limbal and bulbar conjunctival epithelial thickness in patients with dry eye syndrome. Methods A total of 111 eyes of 56 subjects were enrolled in 3 groups: (1) young control (YC group), < 40 years; (2) middle‐aged control (MAC group), > 40 years; (3) patients with dry eye syndrome (KCS group). The central corneal epithelium (CE) thickness, and the limbal (LE) and bulbar conjunctival epithelium (BCE) thickness in four quadrants were measured using a SD‐OCT. All patients underwent a complete examination of the ocular surface including Schirmer test, TBUT and fluorescein staining. Results The ocular surface epithelial thickness was not significantly different between the YC and MAC groups. CE thicknesses were not significantly different between the KCS (49.0 ± 4.1 µm) and control groups (48.3 ± 2.9 µm in YC and 48.8 ± 3.0 µm in MAC). The mean LE thickness was significantly lower in the KCS group (77.3 ± 17.2 µm) compared to the MAC group (84.3 ± 10.1 µm, p=0.031). The mean BCE was significantly thicker in the KCS group (50.4 ± 11.1 µm) compared to the MAC group (42.2 ± 7.9 µm, p=0.005). In the KCS group, the BCE thickness was significantly higher in the superior and inferior quadrants compared to nasal and temporal. The mean BCE thickness was significantly higher in ocular surface severity grades 3 and 4 (53.3 ± 12.1 µm) compared to grades 1 and 2 (45.7 ± 7.2 µm) (p=0.031). Conclusion SD‐OCT can provide a non invasive in vivo evaluation of ocular surface epithelial thickness. Limbal and conjunctival epithelium thicknesses were modified in dry eye patients whereas aging seemed to have no effect.