干眼症是指任何原因引起的泪液质或量及动力学的异常,导致泪膜不稳定和(或)眼表面的异常,并伴有眼部不适症状的一类疾病。传统观念认为干眼症多见于40岁以上的人群,与泪液分泌功能随年龄增长而逐渐减弱有关,所以对成年人干眼症的研究较多,而忽视了儿童干眼症。临床上越来越多的儿童出现了类似于成年人干眼症的临床表现,而且通过常规的抗感染治疗病情反而加重。因此,儿童干眼症应该受到重视。重度维生素A缺乏(VitaminAdeficiency,VAD)导致的儿童眼干燥症曾是儿童致盲的重要原因。随着生活水平的提高,城镇儿童重度VAD十分少见。但亚临床维生素A缺乏(sub-clinical Vitamin Adeficiency,SVAD)、视频终端(video display terminal,VDT)的普及、不良的瞬目习惯、宠物和玩具等密切接触、系统免疫性疾病以及变态反应性疾病均可引起泪膜不稳定而导致干眼症。

Dry eye is a disorder of the tear film due to tear deficiency or excessive tear evaporation which causes damage to the interpalpebral ocular surface(i.e.exposed eye surface) and is associated with symptoms of ocular discomfort.Dry eye is more common in those elder than 40 because of decreasing tear production with aging.Dry eye in young population has been over-looked.In fact,children with dry eye are increasing and usually don’t respond well to conventional antibiotics therapies.Vitamin A deficiency related keratoconjunctival sicca is used to be the leading cause of blindness in children,but it becomes rare nowadays.However,sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency,video display terminal syndrome,abnormal blinking,contact with pets and toys,systemic inmmune diseases and allergies are also common causes of dry eye in children.

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