Table 3:
Dry Eye Symptoms and Signs and IVCM Parameters in Individuals with Dry Eye Symptoms and No History of Refractive Surgery, Grouped by Presence of Microneuromas (MNs)
| Parameter | MNs Present | MNs Absent | P-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptom | |||
| Persistent Pain After Anesthesia*, % | 24.0% (6/25) | 17.2% (15/87) | 0.45 |
| Burning, % score ≥8 | 26.9% (7/26) | 27.2% (25/92) | 0.98 |
| Wind Sensitivity, % score ≥8 | 15.4% (4/26) | 22.8% (21/92) | 0.41 |
| Light Sensitivity, % score ≥8 | 38.5% (10/26) | 34.1% (31/91) | 0.68 |
| Temperature Sensitivity, % score ≥8 | 11.5% (3/26) | 17.6% (16/91) | 0.46 |
| Total DEQ-5 Score, mean (SD) | 15.7 (4.2) | 15.2 (3.8) | 0.57 |
| Total OSDI Score, mean (SD) | 58.9 (23.4) | 50.9 (25.3) | 0.16 |
| NPSI-E Sub-Score, mean (SD) | 20.0 (12.3) | 19.8 (12.0) | 0.95 |
| Ocular surface finding, mean (SD) | |||
| Inflammadry Score | 1.0 (0.9) | 1.1 (.99) | 0.75 |
| Anterior Blepharitis | 0.5 (0.8) | 0.6 (0.9) | 0.51 |
| Vascularity | 0.9 (1.0) | 0.9 (1.1) | 0.99 |
| Meibomian Gland Inspissation | 0.8 (0.7) | 0.8 (0.7) | 0.60 |
| Temporal Conjunctivochalasis | 0.6 (0.5) | 0.6 (0.6) | 0.75 |
| Middle Conjunctivochalasis | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.3) | 0.09 |
| Nasal Conjunctivochalasis | 0.2 (0.4) | 0.3 (0.5) | 0.19 |
| Tear Break Up Time (s) | 5.4 (3.5) | 6.0 (4.0) | 0.45 |
| Total Corneal Staining | 2.3 (3.4) | 2.5 (3.3) | 0.86 |
| Schirmer wetting length (mm/5 min) | 8.3 (6.7) | 10.2 (7.6) | 0.27 |
| Papillae | 0.5 (0.5) | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.77 |
| Fibrosis, % | 0.0% (0/20) | 6.0% (5/84) | -- |
| Hyperemia | 0.6 (0.5) | 0.6 (0.6) | 0.69 |
| Meibum Quality | 1.2 (0.9) | 1.1 (1.1) | 0.85 |
| Corneal IVCM Parameter, mean (SD) | |||
| Nerve Fiber Density (fibers/mm2) | 19.3 (7.4) | 19.0 (9.2) | 0.87 |
| Nerve Fiber Length (mm/mm2) | 12.7 (3.1) | 12.5 (3.8) | 0.81 |
| Nerve Branch Density (branches/mm2) | 22.2 (15.7) | 23.9 (18.5) | 0.68 |
| Total Branch Density (branches/mm2) | 42.2 (28.4) | 40.3 (27.4) | 0.77 |
| Nerve Fiber Area (μm2/mm2) | 0.006 (0.003) | 0.140 (1.296) | 0.60 |
| Nerve Fiber Width (mm/mm2) | 0.022 (0.001) | 0.021 (0.001) | 0.29 |
| Nerve Fractal Dimension | 1.47 (0.04) | 1.46 (0.06) | 0.54 |
SD = standard deviation; DEQ-5 = Dry Eye Questionnaire 5; OSDI = Ocular Surface Disease Index; NPSI-E sub-score = four select questions from the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory modified for the eye; IVCM = in vivo confocal microscopy
*
NRS pre-anesthesia >0 and NRS post-anesthesia ≥ NRS pre-anesthesia