Autoimmune Ophthalmoderm: A New Approach to Dry Eye and Functional Vision
For decades, ocular involvement in autoimmune diseases was described primarily as a dry eye problem. The prevailing view was that symptoms were mainly due to reduced tear production and that treatment was based mainly on tear replacement.
Today, scientific data show that the reality is much more complex. The chronic inflammation that accompanies diseases such as Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, and other autoimmune diseases can affect the entire ocular surface system: the eyelid skin, the meibomian glands, the tear film, the ocular epithelium, and the local defense mechanisms.
This paper introduces the concept of Autoimmune Ophthalmoderma and proposes a new dermo-ophthalmological framework for understanding ocular surface disease. The focus is on the Eye–Skin Axis and the Ophthalmodermal Barrier, concepts that attempt to explain why many patients continue to experience ocular discomfort, visual fatigue, and visual fluctuations, even when classical examinations appear normal.
This approach shifts the focus from symptomatic relief to stabilization of the ocular surface system, highlighting the role of the eyelids, the lipid layer of the tear film, and barrier integrity in maintaining functional vision and ocular comfort.
Read the full scientific article in PDF to learn about the new framework of Autoimmune Ophthalmoderma and the connection between autoimmunity, ocular surface and functional vision.