title: High incidence of dry eye in young children with allergic conjunctivitis in Southwest China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the prevalence of dry eye in pediatric population with allergic conjunctivitis in Southwest China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-centre, prospective, case-control study conducted between May 2015 and December 2015 included 40 children, 3-6 years of age, with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) or perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC) and 40 age- and gender-matched children undergoing medical healthy examination without history of allergy or dry eye as a control. A dry eye score system (DESS) was administered to both groups. Slit-lamp examinations including tear film break-up time (TFBUT) and fluorescent corneal staining (FCS) were performed. Correlation analyses were performed to evaluate associations between measures of dry eye and signs and symptoms of AC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of dry eye was 97.5% (78/80 eyes) in cases and 27.50% (22/80 eyes) in controls. Mean DESS score was 4.75 ± 2.22 in the case group and 0.80 ± 1.22 in the control group (p < 0.001). Symptoms of dry eye in the case group were mild (<6). Mean tear film break-up time was 6.54 ± 1.48 seconds in the case group and 10.04 ± 1.79 seconds in the control group (p < 0.001). Mean FCS scores were 0.79 ± 1.34 and 0.21 ± 0.57, respectively (p = 0.001). The DESS score and TFBUT were both associated with the duration of allergic conjunctivitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of dry eye assessed by TFBUT was higher in young children with SAC and PAC than in controls. However, subjective symptoms of dry eye (DESS) were inconsistent with objective signs, indicating that close attention should be paid to the evaluation and treatment of dry eye in pediatric population with AC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Lianhong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xinke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: DESS; allergic conjunctivitis; children; dry eye; fluorescein corneal staining score; tear film break-up time