To examine the effect of artificial tear use on central corneal thickness (CCT) in dry and normal eyes as a standard diagnosis for indicating dry eye.

Thirty eyes of 30 patients with symptomatic dry eyes and 25 eyes of 25 controls were examined in this study. Artificial tear therapy consisting of 6 drops/day was given to both groups for 2 weeks. The CCT was measured with ultrasonic pachymetry before and after the therapy. Results were analyzed with a paired t -test and Mann-Whitney U-test.

The mean CCT in the dry eye group before and after the 2 weeks of therapy was 528.9±17.3 µm and 556±25.3 µm, respectively, which is an increase of 5.28% (27.1±9.2 µm, p <0.01). The mean CCT in the control group before and after the 2 weeks of therapy was 546.3±36.5 µm and 549.6±39.3 µm, respectively, which is an increase of 0.61% (3.3±2.8 µm, p =0.08).

The CCT in the dry eye group increased significantly compared to the eyes in the control group after use of artificial tears. The results indicate that the increase could be used as a standard in the diagnosis and follow-up of dry eyes, and the increase in thickness should be considered in intraocular pressure measurements as well as in refractive surgical procedures.