ABSTRACT
Purpose: To compare the efficacy of carbomer alone and carbomer with triglyceride in relieving ocular discomfort and improving ocular-surface condition and tear-film stability in patients with dysfunctional-tear syndrome. Methods: We conducted an institution-based, double masked, randomized, controlled trial involving 45 patients (90 eyes) diagnosed with dysfunctional-tear syndrome who were randomly assigned to receive either carbomer alone (Vidisic) or carbomer with triglyceride (Lipolin) eye gels. Corneal and conjunctival staining with fluorescein and lissamine green, tear-breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer test with anesthesia, and subjective gradings of ocular discomfort were measured at baseline and at 1, 2,4, and 8 weeks after treatment. Outcome measures from both groups were subjected to statistical analyses. Results: Fifteen patients in the Vidisic group and 20 patients in the Lipolin group completed the study. The mean age was 53 +/- 12 years (range, 21 to 71). Both groups exhibited significant improvement from baseline in conjunctival lissamine green staining (p=0.001), TBUT (p=0.001), and subjective improvement of symptoms (/> = 0.001) after 8 weeks of treatment. The decrease in conjunctival staining by lissamine green and improvement in Schirmer test were significantly greater for Vidisic (p=0.03 for both). Conjunctival fluorescein staining worsened in the Lipolin group (p=0.02). Corneal fluorescein (p=0.25) and lissamine green (p=0.08) staining, and Schirmer test (p=0.28) were not significantly different for both groups. Conclusion: Vidisic and Lipolin are both well tolerated and effective in reducing dry-eye symptoms, improving ocular-surface integrity, and stabilizing the tear film. There is a trend toward better treatment response with Vidisic.