Evaluation of Corneal Reflectance in Sjögren's Syndrome Dry Eye

Abstract
Introduction: To measure corneal layers’ light reflectance (LR) in eyes affected by dry eye disease caused by Sjögren's syndrome (SSDE) with corneal confocal microscopy (IVCM) and to study the correlations with tear film tests. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six patients affected by SSDE and 36 healthy subjects (HS) were enrolled in this retrospective study, participants of both groups were age and sex matched. Each study participants had a complete eye visit and break up time (BUT), Schirmer test, with and without stimulation, at the end of the visit an IVCM scan was performed. LR measured by IVCM at Bowman membrane (BM) level and at 50 µm, at 100 µm and at 200 µm deeper was compared in the two groups of participants. The correlations between LR measurements and tear film test results were investigated. Results: In SSDE eyes, LR was significantly higher (p