A Study on the Prevalence of Dry Eye Disease in Newly Diagnosed Autoimmune Disorders in a Tertiary Eye Care Hospital

INTRODUCTION: The aims of the study were to assess the prevalence and severity of dry eye in autoimmune disorders. The objectives included studying the prevalence of dry eye in patients with autoimmune disorders and assessing the severity of dry eye in each individual with an autoimmune disorder.AIM: To assess the prevalence and severity of dry eye in patients newly diagnosed with Autoimmune disorders.OBJECTIVES: • To study the prevalence of dry eye in patients newly diagnosed with Autoimmune disorders.• To assess the severity of dry eye in each patient with an Autoimmune disorder.MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study design is a cross-sectional study. The study population included hospital-based population newly diagnosed with autoimmune disorders. The study was conducted in the state of Tamil Nadu, with the study setting being the Ophthalmology Outpatient Department at SBMCH. The study period was 11/2 years from Jan 2023 to June 2024. Ethical considerations include obtaining approval from the Medical Ethical Committee of Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital before commencing the study. The resources and funding for the study was self-funded.RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants were 32.34±9.05 years. Gender-wise, 43.8% were males, and 56.2% were females, indicating a female preponderance. Among the autoimmune disorders studied, Rheumatoid arthritis (32.9%), Psoriasis (27.4%),and Sjogren’s syndrome (12.3%) were the most prevalent. Tear film meniscus height results revealed that 80.8% had TFMH <0.25% and 19.17% had TFMH 0.25-0.50mm.Tear film breakup time (TBUT) results revealed that 64.4% had TBUT more than 10 seconds, and 35.6% had 5 to 10 seconds. The Rose Bengal test showed positive results in 43.8% and was negative in 56.1% of patients. Schirmer’s test 1 showed 35.6% had moderate dry eye followed by 32.8% had mild dry eye and 17.8% had severe dry eye. Schirmer’s test 2 also showed 36.9% of patients had moderate dry eye,31.5% had mild dry eye and 20.5% had severe dry eye. Ocular surface disease index questionnaire (OSDI) indicated 38.4% had mild dry eye,30.1% had moderate dry eye,15.1% had severe dry eye and 16.4% had normal tear function.CONCLUSION: The study provides a valuable understanding of the prevalence and characteristics of dry eye syndrome in a diverse population with various autoimmune conditions. The findings highlight important demographic patterns, ocular manifestations, and tear function parameters among individuals with autoimmune diseases.