A Clinic-based Survey of Clinical Characteristics and Practice Pattern of Dry Eye in Japan.
The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and practice pattern of patients with dry eye disease (DED) in eye clinics across Japan.



A multi-center, cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with DED who visited eye clinics in Japan. Subjective symptoms, patient's background, ocular surface features, and tear function were evaluated. Main outcome measures were tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer I value, kerato-conjunctival staining score, and dry eye symptom questionnaire score.



Initially, 463 subjects were enrolled, and 449 cases (63 male and 386 female; mean age, 62.6 ± 15.7 years) were included in the final analysis. Overall, 94.9% of patients had a shortened TBUT (≤5 s), and 54.6% had an aqueous tear deficiency (Schirmer I value ≤5 mm). The most prevalent subtype of dry eye was aqueous-deficient dry eye, which was present in 35.0% of all patients, followed by short-BUT-type dry eye, which was seen in 26.7%.



The two most common DED subtypes were aqueous-deficient and short-BUT-type dry eye. Shortened TBUT is the most common feature of dry eye, regardless of subtype. The current treatment choice mainly consisted of hyaluronic acid, two novel mucin secretagogues, diquafosol and rebamipide, and steroidal eye drops.



University Hospital Medical Information Network: UMIN (registries no. UMIN 000015890).



Japan Dry Eye Society, Tokyo, Japan, and Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan.
Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. motoko-k@a3.keio.jp.
Motoko
M
Kawashima
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan.
Masakazu
M
Yamada
Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Osaka, Japan.
Kazuhisa
K
Suwaki
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan.
Chika
C
Shigeyasu
Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Miki
M
Uchino
Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshimune
Y
Hiratsuka
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Norihiko
N
Yokoi
Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Kazuo
K
Tsubota
D000368:Aged; D000409:Alanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D015995:Prevalence; D015363:Quinolones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014500:Uracil Nucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011122:Polyphosphates; D015363:Quinolones; D014500:Uracil Nucleotides; C403315:diquafosol; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; C052785:rebamipide; D000409:Alanine
Cross-sectional study; Dry eye; Prevalence; Tears; Treatment