Tear clearance implications for ocular surface health

Cintia Sade de Paiva; Stephen C Pflugfelder

doi:10.1016/j.exer.2003.08.003

Tear clearance implications for ocular surface health

Exp Eye Res. 2004 Mar;78(3):395-7. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2003.08.003.

Authors

Cintia Sade de Paiva¹, Stephen C Pflugfelder

Affiliation

¹ Ocular Surface Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College Of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

PMID: 15106918
DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2003.08.003

Abstract

Tear clearance/turnover provides a global assessment of the function of the lacrimal functional unit and of tear exchange on the ocular surface. It is an indirect measure of dry eye induced inflammation on the ocular surface. It shows better correlation with the severity of ocular irritation symptoms and corneal epithelial disease in dry eye than the Schirmer 1 test. Delayed tear clearance may prove to be the best measure for identifying patients with tear film disorders who may respond to anti-inflammatory therapy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological
Dry Eye Syndromes / diagnosis*
Fluorophotometry / methods
Humans
Tears / physiology*

Grants and funding

EY11915/EY/NEI NIH HHS/United States