• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2008

Purpose: To study on the confidence of dry eye diagnosis methods which need to prescribe contact lens. Methods: Non-invasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT) and tear film break-up time (TBUT) were measured in forty healthy subjects in their 20s, and then the subjects were classified into normal eye and dry eye. The results of McMonnies questionnaire, tear prism height measurement, Hardtack test, blink rate measurement and Schirmer test were compared with the results of NIBUT and TBUT. Results: The results of NIBUT and TBUT were as follows; 20 subjects had normal eyes, 10 subjects had dry eyes in both NIBUT and TBUT, and 10 subjects showed different results. In McMonnies questionnaire, the score of normal eye group averaged 8.2 and that of dry eye group averaged 18.5, which showed statistically significant difference. Furthermore, 100% of normal eye group classified by the results of NIBUT and TBUT corresponded with the result of McMonnies questionnaire and 90% of dry eye group showed the correspondence. Tear prism height of normal eye group averaged 0.32 mm and that of dry eye group averaged 0.23 mm, which were significantly different. Hardtack test, blink rate measurement and Schirmer test without local anesthesia showed no statistically significant difference between normal eye group and dry eye group. Conclusions: On dry eye diagnosis methods, the results of McMonnies questionnaire and tear prism height measurement had close correlation with the results of NIBUT and TBUT.