ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION Dry eye disorders are very prevalent and are increasing with aging. It is the second most frequent cause for patients seeking eye care in US. With an increasing life-span and with baby-boomers getting older and older, there is an urgent need to better understand the mechanisms of meibomian gland disease and tear fi lm disorders. Dry eye is the second most common problem of patients seeking eye care, and is characterized by eye irritation

Ocular Surface Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 6565 Fannin Street, NC 205-Houston, TX 77030; E-mail: cintiadp@bcm.edu

symptoms, blurred and fl uctuating vision, tear fi lm instability, increased tear osmolarity and ocular surface epithelial disease (de Paiva 2003, Goto et al. 2002, Musch 1983, Pfl ugfelder et al. 1998). It is often a challenging clinical problem to identify because of its varying clinical presentation. Dry eye impacts quality of life by decreasing functional vision, i.e. the ability to perform daily activities such as reading, using a computer and driving (Miljanovic et al. 2007).