Purpose: Describe the cognitive and behavioral symptomatology of patients with chronic ocular rubbing in keratoconus (KC) and Ocular Surface Disease (OSD) using a self-questionnaire. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a tertiary ophthalmology center between May and July 2021. We consecutively included all patients presenting with one of the following conditions: KC and OSD. A questionnaire including the evaluation of Goodman and CAGE-modified criteria for eye rubbing was given to patients in consultation to evaluate their ocular symptoms and medical background. Results: We included 153 patients in the study. Of these, 125 (81.7%) patients reported eye rubbing. The average Goodman score was 5.8 ± 3.1 and was ≥ 5 in 63.2% of cases. The CAGE score was ≥ 2 in 74.4% of patients. Addiction (p = 0.045) and psychiatric family history (p = 0.03) were more frequent in patients with higher scores. Ocular symptoms and eye rubbing were significantly more frequent and intense in patients with higher scores; Conclusion: Eye rubbing presents addictive-like cognitive and behavioral characteristics in patients with KC or OSD. The eye rubbing cycle could play an essential role in the onset and progression of keratoconus and could be a factor in the maintenance of dry eye.
Keywords: addiction; dry eye disease; eye rubbing; itch; keratoconus.