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. 2018 May;66(5):653-656.
doi: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_1103_17.

Correlation between dry eye and refractive error in Saudi young adults using noninvasive Keratograph 4

Rania M Fahmy  1 , Amal Aldarwesh  2
Affiliations

Correlation between dry eye and refractive error in Saudi young adults using noninvasive Keratograph 4

Rania M Fahmy et al. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2018 May.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose is to study the correlation between dry eye and refractive errors in young adults using noninvasive Keratograph.

Methods: In this cross sectional study, a total of 126 participants in the age range of 19-25 years and who were free of ocular surface disease, were recruited from King Saud University Campus. Refraction was defined by the spherical equivalent (SE) as the following: 49 emmetropic eyes (±0.50 SE), 48 myopic eyes (≤-0.75 SE and above), and 31 hyperopic eyes (>+0.75 SE). All participants underwent full ophthalmic examinations assessing their refractive status and dryness level including noninvasive breakup time (NIBUT) and tear meniscus height using Keratograph 4.

Results: The prevalence of dry eye was 24.6%, 36.5%, and 17.4% in emmetropes, myopes, and hypermetropes, respectively. NIBUT has a negative correlation with hyperopia and a positive correlation with myopia with a significant reduction in the average NIBUT in myopes and hypermetropes in comparison to emmetropes.

Conclusion: The current results succeeded to demonstrate a correlation between refractive errors and dryness level.

Keywords: Dry eye; Keratograph 4; refractive error; tear film breakup time; tear meniscus height.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Box-and-whisker plot showing the tear meniscus height and its average values (b) in participants with different refractive error status
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Box-and-whisker plot showing the noninvasive tear breakup time and (b) its average values in participants with different refractive error status. *P ≤ 0.05
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentage of dryness in relation to refractive status (n = 126)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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