keratoconjunctivitis sicca

Also known as KCS, Sicca, Keratoconjunctivitis

condition of having dry eyes

Key facts

Other names: Dry eye, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, dry eye disease (DED), keratitis sicca
Specialty: Ophthalmology , Optometry
Symptoms: Dry eyes, irritation, redness , discharge, blurred vision
Complications: Corneal scarring
Causes: Contact lenses , meibomian gland dysfunction , pregnancy , Sjögren's disease , vitamin A deficiency , LASIK surgery , antihistamines , hormone replacement therapy , antidepressants
Treatment: Artificial tears , wrap-around glasses, changing certain medications
Medication: Ciclosporin , steroid eye drops
Frequency: ~20%

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

2,140 papers

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca.Journal of the American Optometric Association · 1991
The cornea in keratoconjunctivitis sicca.Experimental eye research · 2020
Neurogenic keratoconjunctivitis sicca in 34 dogs: A case series.Veterinary ophthalmology · 2022
Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca in Sjögren Disease: Diagnostic Challenges and Therapeutic Advances.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
Diagnosis of keratoconjunctivitis sicca.International ophthalmology clinics · 1994

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Show 3 more facts

NCI Thesaurus ID: C34553
exact match: identifiers.org/doid/DOID:12895
Commons category: Dry eye syndrome

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~35 min read

Article

Dry eye disease (DED), also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, is the condition of having dry eyes. The term dry eye syndrome was formerly used, but is now avoided following advances that have established it as a distinct disease entity.

Symptoms of dry eye include dryness in the eye, irritation, redness, discharge, blurred vision, and easily fatigued eyes. Symptoms range from mild and occasional to severe and continuous. DED can lead to blurred vision, instability of the tear film, increased risk of damage to the ocular surface such as scarring of the cornea, and changes in the eye including the neurosensory system.