'Xerosis meter': a new concept in dry eye evaluation.
BACKGROUND
Dry eye is not only incapacitating to the patient but its treatment is also challenging. It would undoubtedly be more amenable to therapy if it could be detected at an early stage and its prognosis be recorded accurately and sensitively. In the past few years 'dry eye' and its sequelae have become the focus of attention of ophthalmologists worldwide. Whereas there has been a tremendous contribution by the pharmaceutical industry towards its treatment, its diagnostic and prognostic tests, such as Schirmer's test and tear film break-up time (BUT), appear primitive. With this in mind, we have designed a 'xerosis meter'--an electronic device that can detect and grade tissue dryness.


METHODS
This device is based on the principle that the electrical conductivity of any tissue is directly proportional to its wetness. The sensitivity of this instrument was compared with Schirmer's test and BUT.


CONCLUSIONS
The xerosis meter readings in normal eyes (control group) and dry eyes (test group) were compared statistically using the unpaired t-test (p<0.001). The sensitivity of the xerosis meter (86.11%) was much higher than that of Schirmer's test (80.55%) and BUT (66.66%).
Gupta
Yogesh
Y
Institute of Ophthalmology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, U.P., India. yogibear3190@sancharnet.in
Gupta
Meenakshi
M
Rizvi
S Ali Raza
SA
Gupta
Mohit
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism; D017155:Wettability