If Artificial Tears Aren't Enough. The Importance of Inflammatory Processes in Dry Eye Disease. Practical Aspects of an Anti -Inflammatory Therapy of Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye disease (DED) is a heterogenous disease of the ocular surface. Multiple pathogenetic factors are responsible for the disease process, but DED is generally linked to an increase in the osmolarity of the tear film and to inflammation of thc ocular surface. The significance of inflammatory processes in DED is highlighted in the most recent definition of dry eye in the Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS). It is therefore critically important for the management of dry eye disease to understand the pathomechanisms and therapeutic options for the treatment of inflammatory processes. This review summarizes our current knowledge on Inflammation associated with DED and provides practical recommendations for the diagnosis and monitoring of thc disease, as well as the usc of currently available therapeutic options to counteract inflammation in DED.