Research progress on the relationship between lid-wiper epitheliopathy and dry eye

Abstract

Lid-wiper epitheliopathy(LWE)refers to the corresponding pathological changes in the palpebral conjunctiva after the skin-mucosa junction area of the palpebral margin, and staining occurs after using dyes such as fluorescein sodium or lissamine green. Current studies suggest that LWE mainly results from the increase of friction between the lid wiper and the ocular surface. The specific mechanism of LWE is not clear, but the common causes include wearing contact lenses, abnormal tear film, blink abnormalities and inflammation. Clinical studies have found that LWE appears when the conventional dry eye index is negative, so the diagnosis of LWE plays an important role in the early diagnosis and treatment of dry eye. However, there are few studies on the correlation between LWE and dry eye in clinical practice. Based on the existing clinical studies, the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and treatment of LWE are introduced, and the research progress of LWE and dry eye is reviewed, hoping to provide reference for further investigation and the clinical application of LWE.

Keywords

• lid-wiper epitheliopathy
• dry eye
• tear film
• blinking
• lissamine green
• ocular surface
• eyelid margin