title: Conjunctival surface damage distribution in keratoconjunctivitis sicca. An impression cytology study.
abstract: Impression cytology was used to study the ocular surface of 32 eyes with keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Among these eyes, on the basis of the results of the Schirmer I test, two groups of eyes have been identified. The first group with Schirmer test less than 5.5 mm/5 min showed decreased concentration of goblet cells and increased cytoplasm/nucleus ratio on all the areas of the bulbar conjunctiva. The second group, with Schirmer test greater than 5.5 mm/5 min, showed similar changes to be localized in the interpalpebral bulbar conjunctiva only, while the eye surface protected by the lids was almost normal. These observations suggest a pathogenetic role of tear evaporation in eyes with tear film instability even in the presence of a 'theoretically' normal tear production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rolando
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Terragna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calabria
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007637:Keratoconjunctivitis / Q000473:pathology*; D007638:Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism