Which Dry Eye? The Case for Precise Diagnostic Terminology in Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology, 2023-03-01, 卷 130, 期 3, 頁面 239-241, Copyright © 2022

英文摘要

This editorial discusses the importance of precise diagnostic terminology in ophthalmology, using dry eye disease as an example. The term “dry eye” may lead people to misunderstand the condition as a lack of tears, but in fact, it is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface involving tear film imbalance, inflammation, and neurosensory abnormalities. This ambiguous terminology can lead to misdiagnosis and mistreatment. The article suggests re-examining these terms and increasing their specificity to more accurately reflect individual ocular surface disease phenotypes. Also, careful attention should be paid to the words used to describe the course of the disease. Precise terminology helps to reconsider the underlying causes of a patient’s condition and to proceed with treatment in a more rational manner.

中文摘要

本篇探討了眼科中精確診斷術語的重要性，以乾眼症為例。乾眼症這一術語可能讓人誤解為眼睛缺乏淚液，但實際上，乾眼症是一種多因素導致的眼表疾病，包括淚膜失衡、炎症、神經感覺異常等。這種模糊的術語可能導致誤診和誤治。文章建議重新審視這些術語，提高特異性，以便更準確地反映個體眼表疾病的表型。同時，還需要注意描述疾病過程的用詞。精確的術語有助於重新考慮患者的病因，從而更合理地進行治療。