Abstract: Signs vs. symptoms in Sjogrens patients

Hmph. I thought I had already reported on this but can't find it on the blog so I guess I didn't.

Basically just tells us... as we know... that the correlation between dry eye signs and symptoms is poor even for Sjogrens Syndrome patients, and suggests that reduced corneal sensitivity is part of the explanation.

[Correlation between signals and symptoms of dry eye in Sjögren's syndrome patients]
Arq Bras Oftalmol. 2008 Jul-Aug;71(4):547-52.
[Article in Portuguese]

Barboza MN, Barboza GN, de Melo GM, Sato E, Dantas MC, Dantas PE, Felberg S.

PURPOSE: To study the correlation between the signals and symptoms of dry eye in Sjögren's syndrome patients.

METHODS: We formed the case group with 17 Sjögren's syndrome patients and the control group with 25 normal patients. For evaluation of the symptoms the "Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI)" questionnaire was applied to both groups and, after that, all the individuals were submitted to the ocular tests: Schirmer I and II, coloration of the ocular surface with rose bengal, pachymetry and esthesiometry. Spearman's correlation test was used to analyze the correlations between signals and symptoms and Student's t test for independent samples was used for comparison of the averages of the values found by the "Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI)" questionnaire and the ocular tests between the patients of the groups.

RESULTS: This study had evidenced a weak correlation between "Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI)" symptoms and ocular tests, which it indicates that not all the patients who presented exuberant symptoms, showed proportionally modified tests. The cornea sensitivity of the case group was reduced when compared with that of the control group. All the studied parameters in the case group presented significant differences (p<0.05) when compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION: There was a weak correlation between Sjögren's syndrome patients' ocular symptoms and signals that indicate the severity of the illness. The variation of cornea sensitivity found in the Sjögren's syndrome patient group may be one of the responsible factors for this weak correlation. All the studied parameters were significantly modified in the Sjögren's syndrome patients group when compared with those found in the control group.