Sixty-two cases with chief complaint of tearing were sampled and grouped according to the age and the result of Schirmer's test. Dacryoscintillography was employed to evaluate their excretory status. Ten microliter of 150-70 uCi Tc99 pertechnetate was simultaneously instilled into each lower temporal marginal strip and dynamic images of duration of twenty minutes were displayed and stored in a computer system. Comparing the fraction turnover rate with students t-test, we find no significant difference in the reflex tearing phase and the basal tearing phase either between the dry eye and the normal eye or between the younger group (<50 y/o) and the older group (>50 y/o). Our study showed tear clearance rate was not changed by the amount of tear secretion or by the age.
Sixty-two cases with chief complaint of tearing were sampled and grouped according to the age and the result of Schirmer's test. Dacryoscintillography was employed to evaluate their excretory status. Ten microliter of 150-70 uCi Tc99 pertechnetate was simultaneously instilled into each lower temporal marginal strip and dynamic images of duration of twenty minutes were displayed and stored in a computer system. Comparing the fraction turnover rate with students t-test, we find no significant difference in the reflex tearing phase and the basal tearing phase either between the dry eye and the normal eye or between the younger group (<50 y/o) and the older group (>50 y/o). Our study showed tear clearance rate was not changed by the amount of tear secretion or by the age.