Clinical Significance of Tear Film Osmolarity in Patients with Mild Dry Eye Syndrome

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#To seek Pearson correlations of tear film osmolarity measured by the I-PEN® (I-MED Pharma Inc., Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Canada) with Schirmer test result, tear break-up time, and Ocular Surface Disease Index score in patients with mild dry eye syndrome. @*Methods@#Patients with mild dry eye syndrome were divided into two groups according to Ocular Staining Score group 1 (50 patients; 67 eyes) and group 2 (59 patients; 91 eyes), 90 patients and 158 eyes in total. The above mentioned correlations were derived. @*Results@#No significant correlations were observed between tear film osmolarity and Schirmer test result (r < -0.01, p = 0.97), tear break-up time (r = 0.05, p = 0.54), or Ocular Surface Disease Index score (r = 0.03, p = 0.76). When the two groups were compared, the Ocular Surface Disease Index score significantly differed between groups (p < 0.01), whereas the Schirmer test result (p = 0.31), tear break-up time (p = 0.11), and tear film osmolarity (p = 0.12) did not. @*Conclusions@#No significant correlations were found between tear film osmolarity and other dry eye indicators in patients with mild dry eye syndrome. The diagnostic utility of tear film osmolarity in patients with moderate dry eye syndrome is should be evaluated.