Patient history in screening for dry eye conditions.

A dry eye history questionnaire was completed by 500 patients who presented for the correction of refractive errors (normals), and 68 patients with previously diagnosed sicca syndrome. Subsamples of females over 45 years were extracted for comparison, and discriminant analysis yielded correct classification for 62 of 63 sicca subjects and 36 of 37 normals, representing 98% sensitivity and 97% specificity. An equivocal classification that warranted supplementary diagnostic procedures was indicated for 5% of subjects. The results indicated that the use of the questionnaire will obviate the need for supplementary ocular sicca examination procedures for the majority of patients presenting for an ocular examination.