title: The corneal pain system. Part I: the missing piece of the dry eye puzzle.
abstract: The traditional model of dry eye disease based on tear deficiency has presented us with many unanswered questions. Recent studies support the notion that dry eye-like symptoms represent non-specific corneal pain and provide new insights into the mechanisms that sustain the integrity of the optical tear layer. Thus, this enigmatic disease can be viewed with a new perspective, which involves the dysfunctional corneal pain system as a central pathogenetic feature of a series of disorders collectively known today as dry eye.
authors.affiliation: Boston Foundation for Sight, Needham, MA 02494-1227, USA. prosenthal@bostonsight.org
authors.forename: Perry
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borsook
mesh_terms: D003315:Cornea / Q000294:innervation; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058447:Eye Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000502:physiology