Impaired visual performance in patients with dry eye.

Patients with dry eye disease (DED) often complain about poor vision, which is not easily quantifiable. This review assesses the current understanding of clinical evaluations of visual function in patients with DED. Several noninvasive techniques for the assessment of visual performance have been utilized in patients with DED, and these are critically reviewed in relation to the visual symptoms experienced by these patients. It is clear that none of the current techniques is ideal, and there is not one appropriate, simple, clinical test that can be used for assessing visual impairment in patients with DED. Evidence from a comprehensive literature search combined with clinical experience have been used to identify which tests are currently of most benefit and to highlight the future development of a more specific clinical test for visual impairment in the dry eye patient.