Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
Horwath, J; Ettinger, K; Bachernegg, M; Bodner, E; Schmut, O.
Ocular Ferning test - effect of temperature and humidity on tear Ferning patterns.
Ophthalmologica. 2001; 215(2):102-107
Doi: 10.1159/000050838
Web of Science
PubMed
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- Führende Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz
- Horwath-Winter Jutta
- Co-Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz
- Schmut Otto
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- Abstract:
- BACKGROUND: The ocular ferning test is used as a diagnostic aid to evaluate patients with dry-eye disease. The ferning phenomenon is a dendritic growth form of dried tear fluid. The influence of temperature and relative humidity (rH) on the morphology of tear ferning patterns was investigated. METHODS: Two microliters of tear fluid of 5 volunteers with normal tear function were dropped onto a microscope slide with a pipette and were dried in a climatic chamber at four different temperatures (20, 22, 24 and 26 degrees C) and at four different grades of rH (30, 40, 50 and 60%) at each temperature. The dried droplet was divided according to distinct morphological features into a center, transition zone and margin. The center of the dried droplet was classified into four types according to the system of Rolando. RESULTS: In the temperature range between 20 and 26 degrees C, rH has a strong influence on the ferning patterns. At these temperatures, increasing rH resulted in a deterioration of type I ferning obtained at 30% rH to type II or type III at 60% rH in all subjects. Otherwise, at rH of 30, 40 and 50%, no definite influence of temperature between 20 and 26 degrees C was observed. At an rH of 60%, the ferning patterns changed with increasing temperature from 20 to 26 degrees C from type II to type III. CONCLUSION: High humidity can modify and deteriorate the ferning patterns of tear fluid from subjects with normal tear function. To obtain reproducible results using the ocular ferning test, stable conditions are necessary. An rH not higher than 50% at a temperature range between 20 and 26 degrees C produced ferning patterns without interstitial spaces which could be related to the best quality according to the system of Rolando.
- Find related publications in this database (using NLM MeSH Indexing)
- Adult -
- Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological - standards
- Dry Eye Syndromes - diagnosis
- Female - diagnosis
- Humans - diagnosis
- Humidity - diagnosis
- Male - diagnosis
- Reproducibility of Results - diagnosis
- Tears - chemistry
- Temperature - chemistry
- Find related publications in this database (Keywords)
- dry eye
- contact lens tolerance
- ocular ferning test
- morphology
- temperature
- relative humidity