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A retrospective study identified key visual symptoms, such as light sensitivity and spots in vision, that distinguish dry eye from glaucoma, cataracts, and glaucoma controls, emphasizing the varying efficacy of these symptoms in aiding the diagnosis of dry eye across different conditions.

The following is a summary of “Utilizing visual symptoms to distinguish dry eye from glaucoma, cataract, and suspect glaucoma patients: a cross-sectional study” published in the January 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Zhao et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to identify distinct visual symptoms distinguishing dry eye from cataract, glaucoma, or glaucoma cases.

They had adults with dry eye, glaucoma, cataracts, and suspected glaucoma (controls) fill out a questionnaire assessing the frequency and severity of 28 visual symptoms. Employed univariate and multivariable logistic regression with backward stepwise selection (P<0.05) to identify key symptoms distinguishing dry eye from other conditions

The results showed 353 patients (94 glaucoma controls, 79 glaucoma, 84 cataracts, 96 dry eyes), with a mean age of 64.1 years (SD = 14.1); 67% were female, and 68% were white. Dry eye patients reported more frequent light sensitivity (OR = 15.0, 95% CI = 6.3–35.7) and spots in vision (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.2–6.3) than glaucoma controls. Dry eye patients had higher light sensitivity (OR = 9.2, 95% CI = 2.0–41.7) but lower frequencies of poor peripheral vision (OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.06–0.7), differences in vision between eyes (OR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.01–0.7), and missing patches of vision (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.009–0.3) compared to glaucoma patients. As per cataract patients, dry eye patients reported more frequent spots in vision (OR = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.5–13.4) and vision variability across the week (OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.2–17.7) and were less likely to report worsening vision (OR = 0.1, 95% CI = 0.03–0.4) and blindness (OR = 0.1, 95% CI = 0.02–0.8). Using univariate and multivariable logistic regression (P<0.05), identified the key symptoms distinguishing dry eye from other conditions.

They concluded that visual symptoms aid dry eye diagnosis, varying efficacy across conditions.

Source: bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-023-03219-2