RESUMO
PURPOSE: Our study is trying to establish the prevalence of Dry Eye Syndrome in glaucoma patients treated with topical medication. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We investigated 40 patients (21 females and 19 males), age over 50, treated with topical antiglaucoma medication for at least one year. The control group was consisted of 40 healthy adults, 20 female and 20 males, age over 50, who didn't took any ocular treatment in the last three months. Each patient completed an Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire (OSDI) and underwent evaluation by Schirmer test and tear break-up time (TBUT). RESULTS: In the control group we diagnose 9 patients (23%) with Dry Eye Syndrome. In glaucoma group 25 patients (63%) had Dry Eye Syndrome. Tear break-up time showed abnormal tear quality in all of those 25 patients. Schirmer testing showed 23 patients with decrease in tear production. Using Ocular Surface Disease Index 22 patients reported ocular symptoms. Unlike the control group, at the glaucoma patients we didn't notice any difference between the two genders. Regarding the age, we found at the control group the Dry Eye Syndrome at patients over 70 years old, and at the glaucoma group the average age was 55 years old. CONCLUSIONS: In general population the prevalence of Dry Eye Syndrome is about 20%, mainly affecting females over 60 years old. In our study 63% of glaucoma patients had Dry Eye Syndrome--as a result of long term topical therapy that affects the integrity of the tear film and the ocular surface.