Dry eye disease (DED), a multifactorial ocular disease that significantly impacts quality of life, is most commonly reported in adults. This review describes the prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis and management of DED in children. A literature search, conducted from January 2000–December 2022, identified 54 relevant publications. Using similar diagnostic criteria to those reported in adults, namely standardized questionnaires and evaluation of tear film homeostatic signs, the prevalence of DED in children ranged from 5.5% to 23.1 %. There was limited evidence for the influence of ethnicity in children, however some studies reported an effect of sex in older children. Factors independently associated with DED included digital device use, duration of digital device use, outdoor time and urban living, Rates of DED were higher in children with ocular allergy and underlying systemic diseases. Compared with similar studies in adults, the prevalence of a prior DED diagnosis or a diagnosis based on signs and symptoms was lower in children, but symptoms were commonly reported. Treatment options were similar to those in adults, including lifestyle modifications, blinking, management of lid disease and unpreserved lubricants in mild disease with escalating treatment with severity. Management requires careful exploration of symptoms, medical history and the diagnosis and management of ocular comorbidities such as allergy and anterior blepharitis. Appropriately powered population-based studies are required to understand the prevalence of and risk factors for DED in children. Development of age-appropriate thresholds for signs and symptoms of DED would support better diagnosis of disease and understanding of natural history.

干眼病 (DED) 是一种严重影响生活质量的多因素眼部疾病，最常见于成年人。本综述描述了儿童 DED 的患病率、危险因素、诊断和治疗。2000 年 1 月至 2022 年 12 月期间进行的文献检索发现了 54 篇相关出版物。使用与成人报告类似的诊断标准，即标准化问卷和泪膜稳态体征评估，儿童 DED 的患病率为 5.5% 至 23.1%。关于种族对儿童影响的证据有限，但一些研究报告了性别对年龄较大儿童的影响。与 DED 独立相关的因素包括数字设备使用、数字设备使用时长、户外时间和城市生活。患有眼部过敏和潜在全身性疾病的儿童 DED 发生率较高。与成人中的类似研究相比，儿童中既往 DED 诊断或基于体征和症状的诊断的患病率较低，但症状也很常见。治疗方案与成人相似，包括改变生活方式、眨眼、眼睑疾病的治疗以及轻度疾病时使用未防腐的润滑剂，随着严重程度的增加，治疗逐渐升级。治疗需要仔细探索症状、病史以及过敏和前睑缘炎等眼部合并症的诊断和治疗。需要适当的基于人群的研究来了解儿童 DED 的患病率和危险因素。制定适合年龄的 DED 体征和症状阈值将有助于更好地诊断疾病和理解自然史。