Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most frequently encountered ocular morbidities. 25 % percent of patients who visit ophthalmic clinics report symptoms of dry eye, making it a growing public health problem and one of the most common conditions seen by eye care practitioners. Historically, the term "Keratoconjunctivitis sicca" can be attributed to the Swedish ophthalmologist Henrik SC j�gren. He was the first to refer to the triad of Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, dry mouth,and joint pain, which occurs mainly in women (90% of the cases) (www.sjogrens.org), and in 1950 Andrew De Roetth introduced the term "dry eye". For many decades, DED was thought to be limited to dryness of the eyes due to reduction of the aqueous phase of the tear film. In 1995, DED was defined as a complex multifaceted group of medical and ocular diseases that is due to decreased tear production and/or increased tear evaporation. In 2007, the International Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS) revised the original definition and classification scheme of DED and developed a new definition, as well as a three‐part classification of DED based on etiology, mechanism, and severity of the disease. |
