Lacrimal function tests
A. Hornblass and T. M. Ingis
A comparative study of lacrimal function tests was undertaken. The primary
Jones fluorescein test, the fluorescein dye disappearance (FDD) test, the
Hornblass saccharin taste test and the Schirmer secretory test were tested
for their reliability and effectiveness in 60 lacrimal systems with no
known pathologic history or physical findings. Schirmer test values
diminish with advancing age. The correlation between the FDD test, the
Jones fluorescein test, and the saccharin taste test was low. The FDD test
is an unsatisfactory test. The saccharin taste test time was shorter in
patients with a positive Jones fluorescein test and longer in patients with
a negative Jones fluorescein test. Forty-eight percent or 31/60 lacrimal
systems had a negative Jones fluorescein test. This is higher than
previously reported. The saccharin taste test was found to be the most
practical and reliable of all lacrimal excretory function tests despite its
subjectivity.
