Longer axial length linked to greater dry eye symptoms in myopic patients

Longer axial length (AL) in myopic patients is associated with an increased risk and severity of dry eye disease, according to a study.

The research involved 122 participants who underwent a comprehensive evaluation, including the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score, refraction measurements, and biometric and ocular surface parameter assessments. The study categorized participants based on their AL to compare the prevalence and severity of dry eye symptoms across different myopia levels.

Key findings of the study indicated statistically significant differences in refractive error, corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, and subfoveal choroidal thickness among the groups. As AL increased, both the incidence and severity of dry eye symptoms escalated notably. Tear film break-up time was reduced, and corneal fluorescein staining points were higher in patients with longer AL, indicating greater tear film instability and ocular surface damage.

The study also found that higher OSDI scores, indicating more severe dry eye symptoms, were linked to increased AL and spherical equivalent in myopic patients. Conversely, tear film break-up time and Schirmer I test results decreased with higher AL, spherical equivalent, and corneal astigmatism.

Reference
Lyu YY, Wang S, Chen XN, et al. Ocular surface in patients with different degrees of myopia. Int J Ophthalmol. 2024;17(7):1313-1321. doi: 10.18240/ijo.2024.07.17. PMID: 39026912; PMCID: PMC11246949.