[Dry eye: etiopathogenesis and treatment].

Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of tears and ocular surface that causes discomfort, visual disturbance and tear film instability. It is a common disorder that affects specially adults and women and can cause quality of life impairment comparable to migraine, shortness of breath and chronic renal insufficiency, depending on its symptoms or complications. New concepts regarding physiopathology, classification and treatment have been presented and should be known by ophthalmologists because of their relevance on day-by-day application. There are about 100 different medications currently in use for dry eye besides other methods of treatment, so it is necessary to establish what is really safe and effective for dry eye. This paper presents a review about Dry Eye Syndrome etiopathogenesis and treatment.