Neuropathic corneal pain impacts patient's quality‐of‐life dimensions more than dry eye disease

Abstract

AbstractPurpose: To compare the perception of ocular pain in patients with neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) and dry eye disease (DED), and to measure its impact on quality‐of‐life (QoL) dimensions (physical, psychological, social).Methods: A retrospective, cross‐sectional study, comparative study was conducted, including NCP (N = 119) and DED (N = 43) patients. Demographic features, ocular pain assessment survey (OPAS), and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores were reviewed. The OPAS comprises physical (vision‐related), social and psychological dimensions of QoL through six items.Results: The mean age of DED and NCP were 56.3 ± 15.7 and 56.2 ± 16.0 years, respectively (p = 0.966). The mean pain intensity scores (scale 0–10) in the last 24 h and 2 weeks were 2.04 ± 2.68 in DED patients and 5.03 ± 3.22 in NCP (p < 0.01) and 2.08 ± 2.91 (DED) and 4.77 ± 3.51 (NCP; p < 0.01) respectively. The interference of pain on QoL for DED and NCP patients was: reading/computer (DED 3.33 ± 3.24, NCP 5.54 ± 3.46, p = 0.003), driving/TV (DED 3.08 ± 3.28, NCP 4.59 ± 3.32, p = 0.024) for physical (visual related) dimension and Gen Act (DED 2.04 ± 2.77, NCP 3.87 ± 3.04, p = 0.001); Mood (DED 3.04 ± 3.39, NCP 5.66 ± 3.48 p = 0.001); Sleep (DED 2.32 ± 3.28, NCP 3.46 ± 3.18, p = 0.014) for the psychological dimension; enjoying life/social relations (DED 2.80 ± 3.26, NCP 5.15 ± 3.50, p = 0.001) for the social dimension of QoL. While pain had no significant impact on the visual dimension of QoL in DED (R = 0.14; p = 0.25), it had a significant impact in NCP patients (R = 0.41; p = 0.001). No significant difference in gender was resulting in any QoL dimension (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Pain in patients with NCP has a more pronounced interference with physical, psychological, and social dimensions of QoL as compared to patients with DED. The vision‐related dimension of QoL is impacted by pain in NCP, but not in DED.