title: Dryness symptoms, diagnostic protocol and therapeutic management: a report on 1,200 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the diagnostic and therapeutic data obtained from 1,200 patients suffering from dry eye symptoms not due to Sjögren's syndrome or other auto-immune diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Schirmer test I, ferning test, breakup time, vital dye staining, brush and imprint cytology were performed; data were grouped into diagnostic profiles, and the therapy was prescribed according to these.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight diagnostic profiles were identified. Dry eye was diagnosed in 57.1% of patients; the remaining 42.9% were found to suffer from eye discomfort or conjunctivitis of different aetiologies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjective symptoms of dryness can hide diseases other than dry eye; combined clinical and laboratory tests are requested to make a diagnosis. Our experience indicates that a therapy prescribed on the basis of diagnostic profiles provides relief in 79.1% of cases.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Biotechnological and Clinical Research in Ophthalmology, University of Bologna, S. Orsola Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, I-40138 Bologna, Italy. versura@alma.unibo.it
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Versura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cellini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torreggiani
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Profazio
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bernabini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caramazza
mesh_terms: D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000150:complications; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012395:Rose Bengal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D012395:Rose Bengal