AIM:To research the correlation between dry eye and diabetic retinopathy(DR)in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

METHODS:A total of 150 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus collected from August 2015 to February 2017 were separated to three groups: without diabetic retinopathy(DR), with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR)and with proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR). Each group contained 50 cases(100 eyes). Another 50 dry eye patients without diabetes were as control. All patients were provided with questionnaire survey of ocular surface disease index(OSDI), SchirmerⅠtest(SⅠt), break-up time(BUT)and fluorescein staining(FL), to compare the prevalence and the severity of dry eye in these groups.

RESULTS: The prevalence of dry eye in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without DR group was 44%, in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with NPDR group was 51% and in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with PDR group was 59%. To compare dry eye patients without DR with the control group, there were no difference in OSDI, SIt, BUT and FL(P>0.05). Dry eye in the patients with NPDR was more serious than in the patients without DR, there were statistical difference in OSDI, SⅠt, BUT and FL(P<0.05). Dry eye in the patients with PDR was more serious than in the patients with NPDR, there were statistical difference in SIt, BUT and FL(P<0.05). But OSDI was lower and showed no difference with patients without DR(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: The incidence and the severity of dry eye increase gradually with the occurrence and development of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. However, the symptoms may be reduced in patients with severe DR.