Prevalence of Dry Eye in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in a Tertiary Care Eye Hospital in Eastern India

Dr. Sumit Choudhury, MS;
Dr. Samar K Basak, MD, FRCS;
Dr. Suchanda Sar, MS,
Dr. Rituparna De, DO

Disha Eye hospitals & Research Centre, Barrackpore, Kolkata-700120, India

Purpose: To find out the prevalence of dry eye in open angle glaucoma patients on medical treatment versus the control group.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. 166 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) from glaucoma clinic of a tertiary eye care hospital were included consecutively. Patients were divided into three groups by number of anti glaucoma drops instilled per day: 1-type/day, 2-types /day and 3-types/day. A control group of 150 subjects was also selected (G0). Each patient and the control completed a 6-point questionnaire pertaining to dry eye symptoms and underwent evaluation by tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer test-I score, and rose Bengal staining.

Results: One or more symptoms occurring often or always present in 89 (53.6%) patients with POAG compare to control in 56 (37.3%) (p<0.01). Low Schirmer's (< 5mm) = 39.1% Vs 22.6% in control; Rose Bengal stain (Van Bjisterveld score) 1 or more = 31.3% Vs 15.3% in control (p<0.01). Patients using 3- or 2-types of eye drop/day had dry eye more often than one-type drop/day - i.e., 62.4%, 58.4% and 45.7% respectively. Patients using BAK containing anti glaucoma drops was associated with 2 folds higher abnormal results on rose Bengal staining.

Conclusion: Patients with open-angle glaucoma with medical treatment had more prevalence of dry eye in respect to both symptoms and signs as compare to control. Coexistence of dry eye and use of BAK-containing anti glaucoma medications may have adverse effect on ocular surface.