Menu
Back to Journals » Clinical Ophthalmology » Volume 13
Assessment of tear-evaporation rate in thyroid-gland patients
Authors Abusharaha A, Alturki AA, Alanazi SA, Fagehi R, Al-Johani N, El-Hiti GA, Masmali AM
Received 25 September 2018
Accepted for publication 31 October 2018
Published 7 January 2019 Volume 2019:13 Pages 131—135
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S188614
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 2
Editor who approved publication: Dr Scott Fraser
Ali Abusharaha,1 Abdulaziz A Alturki,1 Saud A Alanazi,1 Raied Fagehi,1 Naji Al-Johani,2 Gamal A El-Hiti,1 Ali M Masmali1
1Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Endocrinology and Thyroid Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Objective: To assess the tear-evaporation rate in thyroid-gland patients using a VapoMeter.
Methods: Twenty thyroid gland patients aged 18–43 years (mean 34.3±6.3 years) completed the study. Additionally, an age-matched control group of 20 patients aged 18–43 years (32.2±5.1 years) was enrolled in the study for comparison purposes. An Ocular Surface Disease Index dry-eye questionnaire was completed, followed by a test to determine the tear-evaporation rate using the VapoMeter. The test was performed three times per subject by the same examiner. Two readings were obtained each time.
Results: Significant differences (P<0.05) were found between mean Ocular Surface Disease Index and tear-evaporation-rate scores within the study and control groups. The average tear-evaporation rate was much higher in the study group (median 41.2 [IQR 41.4] g/m2·h) than the control group (15.7 [13.7] g/m2·h). Moreover, the average Ocular Surface Disease Index score for thyroid-gland patients was much higher (15.6 [23.4]) compared to the control group (5.5 [7.50]).
Conclusion: The tear-evaporation rate in thyroid-gland patients was found to be much higher than normal-eye subjects.
Keywords: thyroid gland, thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, Graves’s ophthalmopathy, dry eye, tear-evaporation rate, evaporative dry eye
This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.
By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.