Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the association of morphological change and function of the meiboman gland.
Methods: :
Twenty-nine eyes of 29 cases without meibomian gland dysfunction(all female, mean age: 57.3 yrs; 27 eyes of aqueous deficient dry eye, 1 normal eye, and 1 superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis) were enrolled in this study. The amounts of meibomian lipid at the central lower lid margin (the casual levels) were measured using a laser meibometer. Subsequently, morphological changes of the meibomian glands were evaluated using meibography [the nasal, central, and temporal regions of both the upper and lower lid were independently scored as 0-2, respectively, and then summed (score 0: no loss of glands; score 1: meibomian gland dropout <1/2; score 2: meibomian gland dropout ≥1/2; maximum summed score: 12). Subjects were divided into three groups depending on the summed score [0: dropout (-) group; 1-4: mild dropout group; 5-12: moderate to severe dropout group] and the relation between meibometry readings and meibography score was then evaluated.
Results: :
There was no significant correlation between meibometry readings (0.156±0.09, mean±SD) and meibography score (2.3±2.4). Averaged meibometry readings of the dropout (-) group, mild dropout group, and moderate to severe dropout group were 0.17±0.01(n=9), 0.15±0.01(n=13), and 0.20±0.01(n=6), respectively. There were no significant differences among each group.
Keywords: cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye • lipids • cornea: clinical science