Optical quality after instillation of eyedrops in dry-eye syndrome.

PURPOSE

To study the effect of eyedrop instillation on the optical quality of the air-tear film interface at the anterior cornea in cases of dry eye.

SETTING

University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

METHODS

Corneal aberrations (total, spherical-like, and coma-like) were determined from corneal elevation maps and purpose-designed software in cases of dry eye before, immediately after, and 10 minutes after lubricating eyedrop instillation (Blink Intensive Tears). All data were decomposed using Zernike polynomials to yield the root-mean-square wavefront deviations for pupil diameters of 3.0 mm and 5.5 mm. Outcome measures included comparison with clinical tear breakup time (TBUT).

RESULTS

Wavefront higher-order aberrations (HOAs) decreased significantly, by a factor of 2.5 on average, after artificial tear instillation with both pupil diameters (P<.01). The reduction was maintained 10 minutes after eyedrops instillation (P>.2). The mean TBUT was 3.6 seconds +/- 1.7 (SD). Eyedrop instillation increased the TBUT values significantly (by approximately 60%) from baseline (P<.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This method of air-tear film interface analysis facilitated evaluation of optical quality improvement after eyedrop instillation in patients with dry eye. After eyedrops were given, the increasingly regular tear film decreased HOAs, improving optical quality.