Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tear test results in cats with conjunctivitis compared to healthy cats
By Lim, Christine C & Cullen, Cheryl L·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2005·Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Schirmer tear test values and tear film break-up times in cats with conjunctivitis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 14 cats, aged between 0.8 and 12 years, were examined for conjunctivitis, which is an eye condition causing redness and irritation. The tests showed that these cats had lower tear film stability compared to healthy cats, suggesting that their tears weren't protecting their eyes properly. Some of the cats tested positive for infections like feline herpes virus, which may have contributed to their eye problems. The findings indicate that improving tear quality could be important in managing conjunctivitis in cats.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: (1) To document tear film break-up time (TFBUT) in a group of cats with conjunctivitis; (2) to determine if TFBUTs from cats with conjunctivitis vary significantly from previously established normal values for TFBUT in young cats without ocular disease; (3) to determine if a correlation exists between Schirmer tear test (STT) values and TFBUTs in cats with conjunctivitis; (4) to determine if the TFBUTs in cats with conjunctivitis are influenced by the detection of DNA from feline herpes virus-type 1 (FHV-1), Chlamydophila felis, Mycoplasma spp., and feline calicivirus. ANIMALS STUDIED: Fourteen cats between the ages of 0.8 years to 12 years with active, untreated conjunctivitis and without active keratitis or other ocular or systemic abnormalities were included in this study. Procedures Complete ophthalmic examinations, including TFBUT, were performed on all cats. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening for FHV-1, Chlamydophila felis, Mycoplasma spp., and feline calicivirus was performed on conjunctival swabs from affected eyes and blood samples from all cats. RESULTS: Mean TFBUT for cats in this study was 8.9 (+/- 4.8) s in the right eye (OD) and 8.1 (+/- 4.6) s in the left eye (OS). No correlation existed between mean TFBUTs and mean STT values OD or OS. Conjunctival swabs from seven cats (n = 9 eyes) tested positive via PCR for one of the above infectious agents. Blood samples from nine cats tested positive for FHV-1. Mean TFBUTs for cats from which the DNA from FHV-1 was isolated from the blood were significantly lower than mean TFBUTs for cats from which no such DNA was isolated from the blood. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the mean TFBUT in cats with conjunctivitis was significantly lower than previously established values for clinically healthy cats. This supports the theory that qualitative tear film deficiency, and thus tear film instability, may play a role in the pathogenesis of feline conjunctivitis. Qualitative tear film deficiency may predispose to the development of conjunctivitis or may occur secondarily to this condition.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16178840/