Punctal occlusion in the management of chronic Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of lacrimal punctal occlusion in the management of the ocular surface disease in chronic Stevens-Johnson syndrome.


METHODS
Retrospective noncomparative case series.


METHODS
Thirty-one eyes of 18 patients with chronic Stevens-Johnson syndrome seen at the Department of Ophthalmology of the Tokyo Dental College were studied.


METHODS
Patients' lacrimal puncta were occluded by cauterization or with punctal plugs.


METHODS
The effect of lacrimal punctal occlusion was evaluated by changes in subjective symptoms, best-corrected visual acuity (VA), Schirmer test, tear clearance test, and ocular surface double vital staining before and after punctal occlusion.


RESULTS
After lacrimal punctal occlusion, symptomatic improvement was observed in 19 eyes (61.3%). The mean logarithmic VA showed significant improvement from -0.64+/-0.87 to -0.52+/-0.86 (P<0.05). The Schirmer I test results before punctal occlusion yielded a mean score of 7.4+/-8.7 mm, which changed to 10.2+/-8.3 mm after punctal occlusion. The mean preocclusion and postocclusion tear clearance values were 7.5+/-6.6 times and 4.9+/-4.8 times, respectively. The Rose Bengal staining score decreased from 4.7+/-2.8 to 2.7+/-2.2 points (P<0.05), and the fluorescein staining score decreased from 5.0+/-2.3 to 2.2+/-2.5 points (P<0.05), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Concurrent improvements in subjective symptoms, vital staining scores, and VA point to the favorable effects of lacrimal punctal occlusion for the ocular surface health in chronic Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
Kaido
Minako
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Ichikawa, Japan. fwiw1193@mb.infoweb.ne.jp
Goto
Eiki
E
Dogru
Murat
M
Tsubota
Kazuo
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002425:Cautery; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein; D015590:Fluorophotometry; D006801:Humans; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012395:Rose Bengal; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism; D014792:Visual Acuity
D012395:Rose Bengal; D019793:Fluorescein