Dry eye disease in strabismus patients: does eye deviation harm ocular surface?

Dry eye disease is a multifactorial disease which affects the ocular surface system, and determines ocular discomfort symptoms and visual disturbance. Various types of ocular surgery, including strabismus one, represents a recognized cause for iatrogenic dry eye. However, it is not uncommon that strabismus patients, even not undergone to surgery, report symptoms of ocular discomfort and dryness.HypothesisWe hypothesize that two possible mechanisms may determine dry eye in strabismus patients by setting up a specific vicious circle: firstly, the increased exposure of the area of the bulbar conjunctiva located on the opposite side compared to the deviation may cause the thinning of the tear film lipid layer, with increased tear film instability; secondly, the dysfunctional lubricity secondary to the altered relationship between the eyelids and the deviated globe may cause blinking-related microtrauma, and thus inflammation and tear hyperosmolarity.
Source: Medical Hypotheses - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research