Abstract

To evaluate treatment effectiveness of topical cyclosporine on dry eye disease induced by mustard gas, 36 eyes of 36 patients exposed to mustard gas with severe resistant dry eye enrolled the study. Before and after treatment with topical cyclosporine 0.05 twice daily for 3 months, they were evaluated using OSDI for improvement in symptoms as well as tear breakup time, Schirmer testing and osmolarity measurement for improvement in signs of the disease. The mean OSDI score was 0.74 +/- 0.15 and 0.64 +/- 0.15 before and after treatment respectively (p<0.001). The mean TBUT at baseline was 1.9 +/- 1.4 seconds which increased to 2.7 +/- 1.5 seconds (p<0.001). Results of mean Schirmer test were 4.6 +/- 1.3mm at baseline and 5 +/- 1.3mm after treatment (p<0.001). There was a reduction in tear osmolarity of patients after 3 months of treatment with cyclosporine. The mean osmolarity measures were 301.7 +/- 11.5 before treatment and 286.3 +/- 7.9 after 3 month treatment (p< 0.001). Topical cyclosporine 0.05 was effective in tear osmolarity reduction and improving the symptoms of dry eye disease in patients affected to mustard gas.