Objective:To observe the ocular surface function changes of dry eye patients with seborrheic dermatitis and discuss the significance of seborrheic dermatitis in ocular surface damage.

Methods:A cohort study was performed.Forty-nine patients (49 eyes) who were initial diagnosed with dry eye enrolled in General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from October 2015 to March 2016 were divided into 2 groups, including 21 patients with seborrheic dermatitis and 28 patients without seborrheic dermatitis.Gender, age, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), eyelid margin scores, eyelid secretions scores, meibomian gland imaging scores, conjunctival congestion scores, ocular surface disease index (OSDI), Schirmer Ⅰtest (SⅠt), break-up time of tear film (BUT), fluorescent integral score were examined and compared.The study was followed the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University (No.IRB2015-YX-069). Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects before entering the study.

Results:There were not significant differences in gender and ages (χ²=1.536, P=0.215; t=0.642, P=0.524). The rate of MGD in seborrheic dermatitis group was 57.15%, which was significantly higher than that in the non-seborheic dermatitis group (25.00%), with significan difference between the two groups (χ²=5.222, P=0.022). There were significant differences in eyelid margin scores, eyelid secretions scores, meibomian gland imaging scores, fluorescent integral scores between the two groups (Z=2.105, 3.303, 3.368, 3.036, all at P<0.05). The OSDI in the seborheic dermatitis group was 26.43±8.05, which was significantly larger than that in the non-seborheic dermatitis group (16.75±5.74); the BUT in the seborheic dermatitis group was (6.14±1.98)s, which was significantly shorter than that in the non-seborheic (8.75±1.38)s (t=4.918, 5.434; both at P<0.05).

Conclusions:Seborrheic dermatitis may aggravate ocular surface dysfunction in dry eye patients.