Dry Eye Disease in Patients with Functioning Filtering Blebs after Trabeculectomy

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze dry eye disease (DED) in patients with functioning filtering blebs and to explore the relationship between the morphology of filtering blebs and ocular surface instability. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, case-comparison study. Seventy glaucomatous patients (70 eyes) with functioning blebs who had undergone trabeculectomy more than 6 months prior (study group) and 35 control subjects (35 eyes) (control group) were included. All subjects completed an ocular symptom questionnaire that referred to the Shihpai Eye Study. Evaluation of meibomian gland obstruction, a tear film break-up time test (TFBUT), fluorescein corneal staining and a Schirmer’s tear test were then performed. Filtering bleb morphology was analyzed using Wuerzburg bleb classification scoring criteria in the study group. The presence of DED was defined as the concomitant presence of TFBUT <10 seconds and the presence of superficial punctate keratitis. RESULTS: The patients with functioning blebs presented higher corneal staining scores (P = 0.012) and lower TFBUT values (P = 0.043) than the control group. DED was present in 28/70 patients in the study group and 6/35 patients in the control group (P = 0.018). More patients in the study group complained of dryness (P = 0.001), a gritty or sandy sensation (P < 0.001) and redness (P = 0.048). In the study group, the patients with DED were significantly different from the patients without DED in both TFBUT (P < 0.001) and corneal staining (P < 0.001). More patients in the DED group were likely to report dryness (P = 0.013) and watery or teary eyes (P = 0.012). The differences in meibomian gland obstruction scores between the study and the control group, the DED and the non-DED group were not significant (P = 0.105 and P = 0.077, respectively). The values for microcysts and bleb heights were significantly higher in the DED group (P = 0.040 and P = 0.011, respectively). A Spearman’s rank correlation showed that microcysts were positively correlated with corneal staining (r = 0.270, P = 0.024). Bleb height was negatively correlated with TFBUT (r = -0.299, P = 0.012) and positively correlated with corneal staining (r = 0.275, P = 0.021). The relationships between DED and microcysts and between DED and bleb height were significant (r = 0.247, P = 0.039 and r = 0.307, P = 0.010, respectively). CONCLUSION: DED is relatively common in patients with functioning filtering blebs following trabeculectomy. In DED patients, dryness and watery are common symptoms. Microcysts and bleb height are related to ocular surface instability and DED.