Ocular pathology associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to describe the ophthalmological findings in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The study group was made up of 65 patients with OSAS diagnosis and the findings were compared with the ones of the control group (n=39), which comprised patients without OSAS. An observational, analytic study, with a transversal component and a prospective component, was performed. The IOP (intraocular pressure) was similar in both groups (p=0,9786). In the OSAS group, IOP increased with a higher AHI (apnea/ hypopnea index), but not significantly (p=0,057). Similarly, there was no correlation between a higher AHI and the lacrimal secretion in the OSAS group (p=0,3282). However, when we compared control with OSAS patients, we found a significantly higher degree of lacrimal hyposecretion in the latter (p=0,0003). CPAP treatment had no effect on IOP, as initial and final medium IOP were 15.06 and 14.89 respectively (p=0,8327). Regarding lacrimal secretion, it seems that CPAP treatment had an improving effect, as tear production rose from a 9.25 mm medium to 10.45 mm on the Schirmer I test (p=0,0118). Overall, OSAS patients showed similar IOP and glaucoma prevalence as the normal population. However, they had an abnormal tear secretion and a higher prevalence of eyelid laxity (a sign of floppy eyelid syndrome). : OSAS/ SASO = obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, AHI = apnea/ hypopnea index, CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure, FES = floppy eyelid syndrome, TSch/ TSCH = Schirmer test, IOP = intra-ocular pressure, PSG = polysomnography.