Publication:

Efficacy of cyclosporine 0.05% in patients with dry eye syndrome

Background An even and smooth ocular surface is vital for the functioning and comfort of the eyes. Dry eye is a group of disorders of the tear film which is due to either decreased production or increased evaporation and is associated with symptoms of ocular discomfort. Smoking and drugs have been suggested as risk factors in various studies. Cyclosporine has been shown to reduce the cell-mediated inflammatory reactions associated with the inflammatory ocular surface disease.

Methods 50 eyes of 25 patients suffering from dry-eye syndrome were included in this study. Three major ocular symptoms of dry eye i.e., ocular pain, burning, and foreign body sensation were studied in this study. Each symptom was given a score from 0 to 1 so that the ocular symptoms were given a score from 0 to 3.

Results There was a significant reduction in ocular symptoms score (OSS) 2.25 before treatment to 0.6 after 3 months of treatment (p=0.01). In addition, the Schirmer's paper test scores improved from 1.23 mm to 5.91 mm, which is significantly different (p=0.001). The tear film breakup time also improved from 5.49s to 9.86s.

Conclusions Cyclosporine 0.05% has been established to be effective and safe in our study.