Conjunctival flora, Schirmer's tear test, intraocular pressure, and conjunctival cytology in neotropical primates from Salvador, Brazil

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to establish reference values for selected ophthalmic diagnostic tests in healthy neotropical primates from Salvador, Brazil.

Methods: A total of 73 intact adults, including Callithrix jacchus (n = 31), Callithrix penicillata (n = 8), Cebus sp. (n = 22), and Cebus xanthosternos (n = 9) were used to evaluate the normal conjunctival bacterial flora. Cebus xanthosternos (n = 12) were used to evaluate tear production with Schirmer's tear test (STT), intraocular pressure (IOP), and conjunctival cytology.

Results: For all animals evaluated, Gram-positive bacteria were predominant. Results of the diagnostic tests in Cebus xanthosternos were as follows: STT: 14.92 ± 5.46 mm/minutes, IOP: 19.62 ± 4.57 mmHg, and conjunctival cytology revealed intermediate squamous epithelial cells in great quantities.

Conclusions: These ophthalmic reference values will be particularly useful to diagnose discrete or unusual pathological changes in the neotropical primates eye.

Keywords: Callithrix jacchus; Callithrix penicillata; Cebus xanthosternos; eye; ophthalmic tests.