Background: The multifactorial condition known as dry eye disease (DED) has the ability to harm the conjunctival and corneal epithelium through its effects on tears and the ocular surface. Instability of the tear film, increased tear osmolarity, abnormalities of the lacrimal gland and meibomian glands, and a multitude of inflammatory processes in the epithelial surface cells are all causes of dry eye disease.
Objective: The aim of the current study was to assess correlations between corneal epithelial thickness and dry eye symptoms among Egyptian sample patients.
Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 dry eye patients and 30 healthy people at the Ophthalmology Department, Menoufia University Hospital, from April 2021 to October 2022.
Results:The dry eye group's superior corneal epithelial thickness (50.85 ± 8.35) was considerably lower than that of the normal eye group (52.26 ± 2.98), with a P-value of 0.001. The mean of inferior and central corneal epithelial thicknesses, however, did not differ significantly between dry eyes and normal eyes (P>0.05), measuring 37.08 (SD 12.88) mm, 57.90 (SD 13.85) mm, and 52.67 (SD 2.59) mm, 55.32 (SD 6.84) mm, respectively.
Conclusion: Corneal epithelium of dry eyes has a thinner upper part than that of normal eyes. In individuals with more severe dry eye disease, the superior and minimum epithelium was significantly thinner and had a broader range of map standard deviation.