title: Tear functions in patients with vitiligo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitiligo is a common, acquired, pigmentary disorder characterized by the loss of melanocytes. In this study, we evaluated the ophthalmalogic abnomalies of patients with vitiligo with regard to tear functions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients and control subjects underwent examinations via the Schirmer's test, tear film break-up time (BUT), and Rose Bengal staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Schirmer test values in patients with vitiligo were lower than those in the control subjects, but the differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.200). In addition, the BUT values of patients with vitiligo were also significantly lower (P < 0.001), and the Rose Bengal scores of patients with vitiligo were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the scores of the control subjects. When comparing only the vitiligo subgroups, the Schirmer test scores and BUT values of patients with acrofacial vitiligo were significantly lower than those of patients with generalized vitiligo (P = 0.001). Furthermore, the Rose Bengal scores of patients with acrofacial vitiligo were significantly higher than the scores of patients in the generalized subgroup (P = 0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that there is a decrease in tear production in patients with vitiligo, particularly in those with the acrofacial type of vitiligo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Şule
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Güngör
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nurözler
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülfer
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akbay
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ekşioğlu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012395:Rose Bengal; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology*; D034941:Upper Extremity; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012395:Rose Bengal