Effects of lipid-containing eye drops on the ocular surface and in vivo confocal microscopy findings in patients using systemic isotretinoin

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the effects of lipid-containing Rohto Dry Aid eye drops and sodium hyaluronate eye drops on the ocular surface and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) findings in patients using systemic isotretinoin.

Methods

This retrospective study included 71 patients using systemic isotretinoin for acne vulgaris. Ocular surface and tear functions were evaluated with the tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), and the ocular surface disease index questionnaire (OSDI). Meibography was used for the staging of Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) while IVCM was used for the analysis of corneal micro-structural changes. The data of 36 patients using Rohto Dry Aid (the Rohto group) and 35 patients using sodium hyaluronate (the SH group) were recorded. Pre-treatment, first month and third month data were analyzed.

Results

Longer TBUT, lower OSDI score, and less CFS were observed in the first and third months after treatment in the Rohto group (p < 0.001). There was no significant change in TBUT and CFS in the first month (p > 0.05) in the SH group (p < 0.05) but lower TBUT and more CFS were observed in the third month. There was no significant change in the OSDI score in the SH group. There was a significant decrease in dendritic cells, activated keratocytes, and nerve tortuosity with IVCM in both groups. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups.

Conclusion

Rohto Dry Aid, with its support of the lipid layer, is an effective and safe treatment agent that can improve both ocular surface and IVCM findings in evaporative dry eye cases with MGD.

Keywords:

• Evaporative dry eye
• lipid-containing artificial tears
• in vivo confocal microscopy
• lipid layer
• ocular surface

Acknowledgment

This research received no funding.

Ethical approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ankara Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital Institutional Review Board. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in Figure 1.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Ahmet Alp Bilgic, Huri Sabur, Mutlu Acar and Filiz Canpolat. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Ahmet Alp Bilgic and Huri Sabur and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.