Automated non-invasive assessment of tear film break-up time in patients with open-angle glaucoma on antihypertensive therapy and in patients with newly diagnosed glaucoma after SLT

PURPOSE. To evaluate the potential of corneal topography analysis in assessment of the precorneal tear film stability. METHODS. The study included two groups of randomly selected participants: patients receiving topical hypotensive therapy, and patients with newly diagnosed primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) who had underwent selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). All study participants underwent measurement of tear break-up time (TBUT) and meibomian gland dysfunction. The CSO Sirius+ topographer with software designed for diagnosing dry eye syndrome was used. RESULTS. Patients who had been on topical therapy for various durations (ranging from 3 months to 10 years) demonstrated significant evidence of reduced TBUT, indicating the presence of dry eye syndrome. In contrast, patients who underwent SLT without receiving medication had TBUT values within normal limits. CONCLUSION. Preliminary results of this comparative study on the use of corneal topography used for diagnosing dry eye syndrome in evaluation of tear film stability demonstrated the informative value and advantages of this method compared to conventional techniques (Schirmer’s test, Norn’s test).