Sjögren's Syndrome Is Associated With Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Ocular Surface Disease Index

The OSDI questionnaire is used to quantify the dry eye symptoms. Subjects will be asked questions regarding the dry eye symptoms that they had experienced; the OSDI questions is drawn from 3 different subscales: ocular symptoms, vision-related functions, and environmental triggers. Each answer is scored on a 4-point scale from zero (indicating no problems) to four (indicating a significant problem). Responses to all of the questions are combined to generate a composite OSDI score that ranges from 0 to 100, with higher OSDI scores indicating more severe symptoms. Symptoms of dry eye, such as dryness, burning, foreign body sensation, stabbing pain, photophobia, and visual fluctuations, are also noted

Time frame: up to 3 months after tear substitutes apply

meibomian gland function

assessment of the quality of meibomian gland secretions, according to a published classification system (21). In brief, the grading scheme was "0" for clear excreta with small particles, "1" for opaque excreta with normal viscosity, "2" for opaque excreta with increased viscosity, and "3" for secreta that retained shape after digital expression.

Time frame: up to 3 months after tear substitutes apply

fluorescein staining of the cornea

Upper, lower, nasal, temporal and central quadrants were used. Superficial punctate keratopathy (SPK) in the cornea was scored from 0 to 3 in each quadrant: 0, no staining in the cornea; 1, \<5 punctuate stains; 2, \>5 punctuate stains but \<10; and 3, \>10 or filamentous staining detected. The total number was obtained by adding the scores of the four quadrants for each eye (0-15).

Time frame: up to 3 months after tear substitutes apply

noninvasive tear breakup time

Four IR diodes were set on the Keratograph 5 (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany) and arranged in two pairs, located one above the other. The red ring illumination used for corneal topography was deactivated; this ensured a dark background for the examination. An illuminated ring pattern was then projected onto the cornea. At the start of the recording, the subject will be asked to blink his or her eyes three times and then to keep them open as long as possible. Irregularities in the reflected image will be observed closely. Special attention will be given to distortions and gaps in individual rings and the time such deviations from the original ring pattern took to occur. The examination will be recorded on video.