[Dry eye syndrome and allergic conjunctivitis--epidemics of XXI century--diagnostic problems and management].

Recently, allergic conjunctivitis and dry eye syndrome have been thought to be the epidemics of XXI century. Allergic conjunctivitis is the commonest form of allergy worldwide. Clinical symptoms of dry eye are the most common cause of patients complains in out-patient ophthalmological clinics. Both, allergic conjunctivitis and dry eye syndrome, may be associated with some systemic diseases. Thus, it is crucial to perform complete allergic tests in patients suspected of allergic conjunctivitis. The assessment of IgE in tears is a very sensitive test in these cases because physiologically this immunoglobulin is not detectable in tear film. In cases of dry eye syndrome the measurement of tear osmolarity has been is thought to be the most specific and sensitive test, recently.