THE EFFECT OF EYE RUBBING ON THE AXIAL LENTH AND ANTERIOR CHAMBER DEPTH, THE TEAR FILM BREAK UP TIME AND THE FRONT EYE SEGMENT PARAMETERS
Published 2025 - 29th ESCRS Winter Meeting
Reference: FP04.06 | Type: Free Paper | DOI: 10.82333/0mh6-wn37
Authors: Ivana Radman* 1 , Iva Krolo 2 , Aida Kasumović Bečirević 3 , Zoran Vatavuk 1
1University Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Center Sestre milosrdnice,Zagreb,Croatia, 2Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB),Brussels,Belgium;Oftalmología Médica y Quirúrgica (OMIQ) Research, Servicio de Oftalmología,Barcelona,Spain, 3Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Polyclinic Dr. Sefić,Sarajevo,Bosnia and Herzegovina
Purpose
The aim of this study was to determine the transient changes on the anterior segment of the eye and the axial length in healthy volunteers after one eye rubbing for 2 minutes. As a control group we used the fellow- eye that was not rubbed.
Setting
The study included 160 eyes of 80 healthy volunteers in our study with median age of 26 years. Exclusion criteria were as follows: current or previous corneal disease of
the anterior and posterior segment of the eye, atopic conjunctivitis and keratitis, periocular region allergies, previous operative eye surgery, contact lens wear, artificial tears or other ophthalmic drugs that affect the quality of the eye. We also excluded the patients who had a history of eye rubbing.
Methods
The examinees undertook a slit-lamp examination of the cornea, the anterior chamber and the assessment of the tear film before and after the eye rubbing. The same examination was performed on a control eye. In addition, they underwent a diagnostic examination that included corneal topography (OCULUS Pentacam, Germany) and ultrasound biometry (Zeiss IOL Master 700) to evaluate the parameters of the front eye segment and the axial length of the eyeballs before and after eye rubbing. Data were analyzed on both eyes.
Results
Eighty volunteers were enrolled in this study with average age of 26 years in the range of 10 to 65 years. No previous statistically significant difference was found in ophthalmologic
parameters between the eyes exposed to rubbing and those that were not. Compared to the condition before eye rubbing, flat keratometry (K) after eye rubbing showed steepening of flat keratometry values of front corneal surface and there were further changes in the central cornea in terms of against the rule astigmatism (ATR). Non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) was statistically significantly higher after the eye rubbing. There was a positive correlation between axial length (AL) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) after rubbing.
Conclusion
In healthy eyes, following eye rubbing, there is a significant change in NITBUT and central anterior K changes towards ATR astigmatism. Longer eyes had more changes in ACD.