ABSTRACT
The mission of the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) is to advance the research, literacy, and educational aspects of the scientific field of the tear film and ocular surface. Fundamental to fulfilling this mission is the TFOS Global Ambassador program. TFOS Ambassadors are dynamic and proactive experts, who help promote TFOS initiatives, such as presenting the conclusions and recommendations of the recent TFOS DEWS II™, throughout the world. They also identify unmet needs, and propose future clinical and scientific solutions, for management of ocular surface diseases in their countries. This meeting report addresses such needs and solutions for 25 European countries, as detailed in the TFOS European Ambassador meeting in Rome, Italy, in September 2019.
Subject(s)
Dry Eye Syndromes , Congresses as Topic , Europe , Eye , Humans , Italy , TearsABSTRACT
The dry eye syndrome (DES) is a disease of the ocular surface, which can become a social issue in our country, given the changes in lifestyle as a consequence of the economic and technological developments of the last decade. A current problem is the prevalence of DES in patients with glaucoma. The glaucoma treatment, especially the prolonged instillation of preservative-containing medicines, is an important factor in DES morbidity, especially in people aged over 40. In this paper, we presented the findings of our study, which was aimed at assessing the prevalence of DES in the Republic of Moldova and the effect of this impairment on the quality of life. 353 patients (706 eyes) were investigated using the data provided by the visual acuity (VA) and slit-lamp examinations, Schirmer's test results, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score. Our findings showed a high estimate of signs and symptoms of DES (67.4%) and their impact on the quality of life. Simultaneously, we aimed to analyze the issue of DES in patients with glaucoma. To this end, we examined 30 cases with primary open angle (POA) glaucoma. We also presented a clinical case, in which the prospect of associating the two pathologies in a patient was considered.
