Evaluation of tear secretion and tear film stability in pseudoexfoliation syndrome

Purpose: In pseudoexfoliation syndrome, a material of unknown composition i s deposited at the anterior structures of the eye and at periorbital tissue s such as the conjunctiva, where goblet cells and accessory lacrimal glands are located. In this study, the possible effect of pseudoexfoliation on te ar secretion and tear film stability was investigated. Methods: Tear film break-up time and Schirmer tests were performed on 108 e yes of 57 patients with pseudoexfoliation and 120 eyes of 60 normal subject s. Results were statistically analyzed. Results: Both Schirmer test and break-up time scores were significantly low er in the pseudoexfoliative patients (average values 10.13 mm and 6.91 sec, respectively) compared to the control group (average values 12.75 mm and 1 2.75 sec, respectively). The difference was more prominent in males. Conclusion: The lower scores in Schirmer and break-up time tests in the pse udoexfoliation group could be attributed to conjunctival involvement, Pseud oexfoliative patients could be more prone to developing xerophthalmia, espe cially if they are treated with beta blockers.