KERATITIS SICCA AND DRY EYE SYNDROME

The term dry eye refers to an ocular surface condition caused by a gro up of diseases sharing the common signs and symptoms of dryness. Dry e ye syndrome and keratoconjunctivitis sicca are often used interchangea bly; however, they are actually separate conditions that lie along a d isease spectrum that affects the wetting and lubricating properties of tears. Topics discussed in this article include tear film, etiology o f dry eye syndrome, systemic diseases, and the clinical picture.