Abstract

Purpose: To correlate corneal endothelium cell density with dry eye disease compared to an age-matched control group.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 150 eyes of 75 female students aged 19-25 years who did not have any history of eye injuries or eye disease affecting the corneal endothelium cell density, were recruited from KSU Female Campus. They were divided into groups based on their dry eye disease severity. All subjects undergone full ophthalmic examinations assessing their endothelium cell count using specular microscope and dryness level using Non-invasive Break up Time (NIBUT) using Keratograph4.

Results: The mean endothelial cell density was significantly lower in subjects with severe dryness (2620.3 ± 252.2 cell/mm²) and moderate dryness (2801 ± 221.6 cell/mm²) than normal subjects (3067± 196.7 cell/mm²), p=.000.In addition, the mean cell area was lower in normal subjects (327.4± 21.5 μm²) and increased with severity of dryness, in subjects with moderate dryness (358.9 ±27.1 μm²) and in subjects with severe dryness (384.8 ±33.7 μm²), p=.000.There was variation in the mean cell volume, in normal subjects was (25±3.6) and (27.2±4.3) in moderate dryness and (25.5±3.6) in severe dryness, p=.009.

Conclusion: Results succeeded to demonstrate that in moderate to severe dryness, there was a significant reduction in the corneal endothelial cell density as compared to the age- and sex-matched control group. Correlation between corneal endothelial cells Characteristics and dry eye disease Correlation between corneal endothelial cell Characteristics and dry eye disease.

Keywords: Corneal endothelium; Dryness; Specular microscope; Keratograph