Dry Eye Disease and the Oculofacial Pain Syndrome

摘要

The patient was seated in a dark examining room wearing a broad-brimmed black hat that virtually covered her huge, dark sunglasses. The incongruity in watching her lifting them periodically to dab her overflowing tears as she described 4 years of intense eye symptoms of dryness, burning pain, and photophobia was striking. She had previously consulted 3 cornea specialists none of whom could explain her symptoms other than suggesting that they were imagined. Although I believed her, the challenge was to explain these symptoms since, if valid, it would question our current understanding of dry eye disease since her eyes were normal and overflowing with tears.