Tear film and lacrimal excretion changes after lacrimal gland tumor removal

Abstract

To study the change of tear film and lacrimal secretion after lacrimal gland tumor removal operation. It was a retrospective case series study. Nineteen cases (19 eyes) with pleomorphic adenoma of the lacrimal gland from January, 2010 to July, 2011 in Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University were elected. The evaluation included subjective complaints of dry eye, tear break up time (BUT), reflex lacrimal secretion, corneal fluorescein staining, and size of lacrimal lake were analyzed before surgery and 3 days, 1 month and 6 months postoperatively. Simultaneously, the opposite eye was set as control. Subjective complaints of dry eye increased and the mean tear break up time, reflex lacrimal secretion, and size of lacrimal lake were significantly reduced (t = 23.91, 16.90, 11.47; t = 19.31, 20.81, 11.95, P < 0.05) on day 3 and 1 month after operation which were (4.9 ± 2.0) s (3 d), (5.2 ± 1.6) s (1 moth); (4.05 ± 2.07) mm (3 d), (3.58 ± 1.98) mm (1 moth); (0.009 ± 0.004) mm(2) (3 d), (0.008 ± 0.003) mm(2)(1 moth) respectively. However, only reflex secretion test (3.53 ± 1.50 mm) was significantly reduced (t = 21.57, P < 0.05), other values (BUT: 17.4 ± 4.9 s, size of lake: 0.032 ± 0.005 mm(2)) recovered to preoperative levels by the time of the sixth month follow up visit. Corneal fluorescein staining score increased greatly when measured at day 3 and 1 month visit (t = 0.23, 1.69, P < 0.05), but had returned to preoperative values at the sixth month visit. The result of the opposite eye control is the same as preoperative control. During the early stage after lacrimal gland tumor removal, tear film present abnormal changes, mainly in tear stability and reduction of reflex lacrimal secretion.