Hamid-Reza Moein1, Anam Akhlaq1, Gabriela Dieckmann1, Alessandro Abbouda1, Nicholas Pondelis2, Zeina Salem1, Rodrigo T Müller1, Andrea Cruzat3, Bernardo M Cavalcanti3, Arsia Jamali1, Pedram Hamrah4. 1. Center for Translational Ocular Immunology and, USA; Cornea Service, New England Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. 2. Center for Translational Ocular Immunology and, USA. 3. Ocular Surface Imaging Center, Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 4. Center for Translational Ocular Immunology and, USA; Cornea Service, New England Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Ocular Surface Imaging Center, Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: Phamrah@tuftsmedicalcenter.org.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The diagnosis of neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) is challenging, as it is often difficult to differentiate it from conventional dry eye disease (DED). In addition to eye pain, NCP can present with similar signs and symptoms of DED. The purpose of this study is to find an objective diagnostic sign to identify patients with NCP, using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). METHODS: This was a comparative, retrospective, case-control study. Patients with clinical diagnosis of NCP (n = 25), DED (n = 30), and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 16), who underwent corneal imaging with IVCM (HRT3/RCM) were included. Central corneal IVCM scans were analyzed by 2 masked observers for nerve density and number, presence of microneuromas (terminal enlargements of subbasal corneal nerve) and/or nerve beading (bead-like formation along the nerves), and dendritiform cell (DC) density. RESULTS: There was a decrease in total nerve density in both NCP (14.14 ± 1.03 mm/mm2) and DED patients (12.86 ± 1.04 mm/mm2), as compared to normal controls (23.90 ± 0.92 mm/mm2; p < 0.001). However, total nerve density was not statistically different between NCP and DED patients (p = 0.63). Presence of nerve beading was not significantly different between patients and normal controls (p = 0.15). Interestingly, microneuromas were observed in all patients with NCP, while they were not present in any of the patients with conventional DED (sensitivity and specificity of 100%). DC density was significantly increased in both NCP (71.89 ± 16.91 cells/mm2) and DED patients (111.5 ± 23.86 cells/mm2), as compared to normal controls (24.81 ± 4.48 cells/mm2 (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in DC density between DED and NCP patients (p = 0.31). CONCLUSION: IVCM may be used as an adjunct diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of NCP in the presence of neuropathic symptoms. Microneuromas may serve as a sensitive and specific biomarker for the diagnosis of NCP.
PURPOSE: The diagnosis of neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) is challenging, as it is often difficult to differentiate it from conventional dry eye disease (DED). In addition to eye pain, NCP can present with similar signs and symptoms of DED. The purpose of this study is to find an objective diagnostic sign to identify patients with NCP, using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). METHODS: This was a comparative, retrospective, case-control study. Patients with clinical diagnosis of NCP (n = 25), DED (n = 30), and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 16), who underwent corneal imaging with IVCM (HRT3/RCM) were included. Central corneal IVCM scans were analyzed by 2 masked observers for nerve density and number, presence of microneuromas (terminal enlargements of subbasal corneal nerve) and/or nerve beading (bead-like formation along the nerves), and dendritiform cell (DC) density. RESULTS: There was a decrease in total nerve density in both NCP (14.14 ± 1.03 mm/mm2) and DED patients (12.86 ± 1.04 mm/mm2), as compared to normal controls (23.90 ± 0.92 mm/mm2; p < 0.001). However, total nerve density was not statistically different between NCP and DED patients (p = 0.63). Presence of nerve beading was not significantly different between patients and normal controls (p = 0.15). Interestingly, microneuromas were observed in all patients with NCP, while they were not present in any of the patients with conventional DED (sensitivity and specificity of 100%). DC density was significantly increased in both NCP (71.89 ± 16.91 cells/mm2) and DED patients (111.5 ± 23.86 cells/mm2), as compared to normal controls (24.81 ± 4.48 cells/mm2 (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in DC density between DED and NCPpatients (p = 0.31). CONCLUSION: IVCM may be used as an adjunct diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of NCP in the presence of neuropathic symptoms. Microneuromas may serve as a sensitive and specific biomarker for the diagnosis of NCP.
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