Corneal confocal microscopy alterations in Sjögren's syndrome dry eye

Purpose To evaluate light backscattering (LB) in corneal layers in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome dry eye (SSDE) utilizing in vivo corneal confocal microscopy (IVCM) and to determine the eventual association with the lacrimal functional test values. Methods A complete ophthalmic evaluation, Schirmer test with and without stimulation, break‐up time (BUT) and IVCM were performed on 55 patients affected by SSDE and in an age‐ and sex‐matched cohort of healthy participants (HP). Light backscattering, measures as light reflectivity unit (LRU), detected by IVCM at Bowman's membrane (BM) at 50 μm, at 100 μm and at 200 μm deeper than BM was compared in the two groups. The correlations between LB values and lacrimal function results were evaluated. Results In patients affected by SSDE, LB was significantly higher (p