One in four myopic children show signs of dry eye, study finds

Nearly one-quarter of myopic schoolchildren experience dry eye symptoms that are mainly associated with reduced tear volume, according to a study.

The study included 224 children aged 7 to 14 years with myopia. Participants completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, and tear volume was measured using strip meniscometry (SMTube) and the Schirmer I test.

Median measurements showed SMTube values of 6.0 mm and Schirmer I values of 17.0 mm. Median noninvasive first and average break-up times were 7.4 seconds and 10.1 seconds, respectively, while median tear meniscus height was 0.21 mm and mean lipid layer thickness was 64 nm. Superior and inferior meibomian gland atrophy measured 33% and 21.5%, respectively.

Significant differences in noninvasive break-up times and lipid layer thickness were observed between boys and girls, while tear meniscus height differed across age groups. Age, SMTube, and Schirmer I results varied significantly according to OSDI scores. Tear film parameters did not differ significantly among groups stratified by myopia severity. Correlation analysis showed that SMTube values were positively associated with Schirmer I results, tear break-up times, and tear meniscus height.

Reference
Wang H, Zheng Y, Wang G, et al. Ocular Surface Health in Myopic School-Age Children: An Observational Study. J Ophthalmol. 2025;2025:9197399. doi: 10.1155/joph/9197399. PMID: 41497723; PMCID: PMC12767026.