Fluorometholone 0.02% Combined With Sodium Hyaluronate For The Treatment Of Moderate Dry Eye Disease ——a Clinical Study

Objective:To observe the clinical effects of fluorometholone combined with sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of patients with moderate dry eye disease and to investigate the effect of topical anti-inflammatory therapy in dry eye patients.Methods:41 patients (41 eyes) diagnosed as moderate dry eye disease in Shanghai EENT Hospital from June 2012 to October 2012 were divided into 2 groups randomly. The patients of group A were treated with 0.02% fluorometholone combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops, and those of group B were treated with sodium hyaluronate eye drops only. All the patients were evaluated with OSDI scores, conjunctival hyperemia scores, corneal fluorescein staining scores, BUT, Schirmertest values and meibomian gland secretion scores at three time points:before treatment, 14 days and 28 days after treatment.Results:Group A was superior to group B in conjunctival hyperemia scores and Meibomian gland secretion scores after 4-week treatment(p<0.05). There were no significant differences between groups in OSDI scores/corneal fluorescein staining scores/BUT/Schirmer test values after 4-week treatment(p>0.05). Variations of all the indexes between each time points in groups summarized as below:(1) OSDI scores of group A and group B improved after 2-week treatment(p<0.05) and they improved further after 2 more weeks treatment(p<0.05). (2)Conjunctival hyperemia scores of group A and group B improved after 2-week treatment(p<0.05) and they improved further after 2 more weeks treatment (p<0.05). (3) Corneal fluorescein staining scores of group A decreased after 2-week treatment(p<0.05) but did not show significant differences after 2 more weeks treatment(p>0.05). Corneal fluorescein staining scores of group B decreased after 2-week treatment(p<0.05) and they improved further after 2 more weeks treatment(p<0.05). (4) BUT of group A and group B improved after 2-week treatment(p<0.05) and they improved further after 2 more weeks treatment (p<0.05). (5) Schirmer test values of group A and group B improved after 2-week treatment(p<0.05) but did not show significant differences after 2 more weeks treatment(p>0.05). (6) Meibomian gland secretion scores of group A and group B decreased significantly after 2-week treatment(p<0.05) but did not show significant differences after 2 more weeks treatment(p>0.05).Conclusions:Compared to sodium hyaluronate eye drops applied only, fluorometholone combined with sodium hyaluronate applied topically and regularly could relieve conjunctival hyperemia and improve meibomian gland function more effectively.