Infrared thermography of the tear film in dry eye.
Infrared ocular thermograms were recorded for a group of 36 dry eye patients and for 27 age- and sex-matched controls. Mean ocular surface temperature was greater in the dry eye group (32.38 +/- 0.69 degrees C) compared with the control group (31.94 +/- 0.54 degrees C; p < 0.01). In addition, there was a greater variation of temperatures across the ocular surface in the dry eye group, illustrated by the difference in temperature between the limbus and the centre of the cornea (0.64 +/- 0.20 degrees C in dry eye patients compared with 0.41 +/- 0.20 degrees C in the control group; p < 0.001). This parameter was also shown to be greater in dry eye patients who displayed either a fast tear break-up time or a poor Schirmer's test result. Infrared thermography is a non-invasive and objective technique that may prove a useful research tool for study of the tear film, its deficiencies and its various treatment modalities.
Morgan
P B
PB
Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK.
Tullo
A B
AB
Efron
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology*; D013817:Thermography; D014985:Xerophthalmia / Q000503:physiopathology*