Comeal temperatureinpatients withdryeye evaluated byinfrared radiation thermometry

Aims-Thecorneal temperature change following eachblinkwasinvestigated in patients withdryeyeusingan infrared radiation thermometer. Methods-Twenty patients withdryeye and20normalcontrols wereenrolled in thisstudy. Subjects kepttheir eyesopen for10 secondswithoutblinking and corneal temperature wasmeasuredevery second witharecently improved infrared radiation thermometer. Results-In the20patients withdryeye, corneal temperature changeafter keeping theeyeopenfor10seconds was0-21(SD 0.06)°C whileitwas0-61(0*28)°C inthe20 normalpatients (p=0.0001). Inan exponential equation, theinclination ofthe slope ofapatient withdryeyewassmaller thanthenormal. Thecorrelation coefficient wasr=0'79(0-16) inpatients with dryeyeand r=090 (0.07) innormal patients. Themean K valueofpatients withdryeyewas0-20(0.13)/second and thatof normal subjects was 0*31 (0.19)/second (p=0.03). Conclusion-Findings demonstrate the usefulness ofthisthermometer formeasuring corneal temperature intheevaluationofdryeye.Decreasein corneal temperature witheachblinkinpatients withdryeyewassmaller thaninnormal subjects.