Influence of phototherapy on dry eye syndrome in patients with psoriasis

Introduction Psoriasis is a common skin disease frequently treated by photo or photochemotherapy However exposure to ultraviolet light may damage the eye organ Aim To assess the frequency of dry eye symptoms in patients treated with photo or photochemotherapy Material and methods The study group consisted of 36 (18 males and 18 females, aged 21 to 73 years mean age 47 7 14 2 years) patients being treated for psoriasis with photo or photochemotherapy Twenty eight of 36 (77 8%) patients participated in the control examination 3 months after therapy All patients underwent careful dermato logical and ophthalmological examination (both before and 3 months after the treatment) including Schirmer s test and break up time assessment Mean disease severity according to PASI was 177 100 points mean disease duration 145 143 years and mean duration of current psoriasis exacerbation 3 9 40 months Results Symptoms suggesting dry eye syndrome were noticed in 12/36 patients before and 13/28 after phototherapy (p = 0 38) The mean value of Schirmer s test in 28 patients who were examined twice was 16 6 8 2 mm (right eye) and 202 84 mm (left eye) at baseline compared to 167 76 mm (right eye p = 0 98) and 176 8 2 mm (left eye p = 0 08) after treatment The mean break up time value was 148 7 9 mm (right eye) and 15 8 7 5 mm (left eye) before treatment compared to 14 4 5 4 mm (right eye p = 0 8) and 142 5 0 mm (left eye p = 0 26) after photo or photochemotherapy Conclusions It could be supposed that phototherapy might induce or exacerbate symptoms of dry eye syndrome A single phototherapy cycle seems not to be connected with a risk of dry eye but repeatedly applied therapy would probably increase that risk