title: In vivo 3-dimensional corneal epithelial thickness mapping as an indicator of dry eye: preliminary clinical assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate in vivo epithelial thickness in dry eye by anterior segment optical coherence tomography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational, retrospective case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two age-matched groups of female subjects, 70 eyes each, age ≈ 55 years, were studied in clinical practice setting: a control (unoperated, no ocular pathology) and a dry eye group (clinically confirmed dry eye, unoperated and no other ocular pathology). Corneal epithelium over the entire cornea was topographically imaged via a novel anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) system. Average, central, and peripheral epithelial thickness as well as topographic epithelial thickness variability were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the control group, central epithelial thickness was 53.0 ± 2.7 μm (45-59 μm). Average epithelium thickness was 53.3 ± 2.7 μm (46.7-59.6 μm). Topographic thickness variability was 1.9 ± 1.1 μm (0.7-6.1 μm). For the dry eye group, central epithelial thickness was 59.5 ± 4.2 μm (50-72 μm) and average thickness was 59.3 ± 3.4 μm (51.4-70.5 μm). Topographic thickness variability was 2.5 ± 1.5 μm (0.9-6.9 μm). All pair tests of respective epithelium thickness metrics between the control and dry eye group show statistically significant difference (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study, based on very user-friendly, novel AS-OCT imaging, indicates increased epithelial thickness in dry eyes. The ease of use and the improved predictability offered by AS-OCT epithelial imaging may be a significant clinical advantage. Augmented epithelial thickness in the suspect cases may be employed as an objective clinical indicator of dry eye.
authors.affiliation: Laservision.gr Eye Institute, Athens, Greece; New York University Medical School, New York, New York. Electronic address: ajk@brilliantvision.com.
authors.forename: Anastasios John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kanellopoulos
authors.affiliation: Laservision.gr Eye Institute, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Asimellis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019781:Corneal Topography; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence