Feasibility of Strip Meniscometry for Tear Volume Evaluation in Lacrimal Passage Obstruction.

Ikubun Osawa,Yuri Esaka,Takashi Kojima,Murat Dogru,Cem Simsek,Haruka Kudo

doi:10.3390/diagnostics10040179

Ikubun Osawa, Yuri Esaka + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics10040179

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Abstract

Strip meniscometry tube (SMTube) is useful for assessing tear volume in dry eye disease. We performed an in vitro and a clinical study to examine whether the SMTube can also be used to evaluate tear quantity in lacrimal passage obstruction (LPO). In vitro experiments showed that the SMTube value and the amount of water absorption were significantly correlated (R2 = 0.816, p = 0.0008), but the measured value peaked when 4 μL was absorbed. In the clinical study, 12 eyes of 9 LPO patients and 17 eyes of 17 healthy control subjects were included. The patients’ SMTube values were significantly higher than those of the control subjects (p < 0.05). The SMTube value significantly decreased after silicon tube intubation (p < 0.05). Tear meniscus height (TMH) and area (TMA), measured by anterior segment optical coherence tomography, exhibited a significant positive correlation with the SMTube value (TMH, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.396; TMA, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.366). Moreover, the SMTube value significantly correlated positively with the subjective symptom of epiphora (p = 0.012, R2 = 0.255). Thus, SMTube was useful for evaluating the tear volume and therapeutic effects in patients with LPO.

Highlights

Epiphora, the main symptom of lacrimal passage obstruction (LPO) is known to cause discomfort and deterioration of visual acuity as the tear film thickness changes considerably with blinking [1]
Various surgeries have been performed for LPO, and it has been reported that improvement of epiphora by surgery significantly improves the quality of life [2]
The Strip meniscometry tube (SMTube) was developed for diagnosing dry eye and reportedly allows measurement of the tear meniscus in 5 s

Summary

Introduction

The main symptom of lacrimal passage obstruction (LPO) is known to cause discomfort and deterioration of visual acuity as the tear film thickness changes considerably with blinking [1]. LPO or stenosis is one of the causes of epiphora. Various surgeries have been performed for LPO, and it has been reported that improvement of epiphora by surgery significantly improves the quality of life [2]. Dacryoendoscopic surgery with silicone tube intubation has gained considerable popularity. Dacryoendoscopic surgery is performed for the treatment of common canalicular obstruction and for nasolacrimal duct obstruction for which dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) had been previously suggested. It is reported that 75–90% of tears stored in the ocular surface are located in the tear meniscus [3]

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