Schirmer testing for dry eyes in patients with rosacea

Abstract

Dry eyes have been reported in a significantly greater number of patients with ocular rosacea than in control subjects. Our purpose was to assess the incidence of dry eyes in patients with cutaneous rosacea and to compare this with a control population. With the use of the Schirmer test without anesthesia, the amount of aqueous tear secretion of 32 consecutive patients (16 women, 16 men) with rosacea was compared with that of 32 psoriasis patients (16 women, 16 men) without rosacea who served as age- and sex-matched controls. Two criteria, 5 mm and 8 mm of strip wetting, were used to indicate the lower limit of normal aqueous tear secretion. Of rosacea patients, 56.3% had less than 8 mm of strip wetting compared with 25% of control patients (p less than 0.02). Of rosacea patients, 40.6% had less than 5 mm of strip wetting compared with 18.75% of controls (p less than 0.10). The results of this study suggest that dry eyes occur frequently in rosacea. It is important that dermatologists and ophthalmologists be aware of the frequency of dry eyes in rosacea, so that patients are investigated and appropriate therapy can be provided.