Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate the relationship between meibomian gland (MG) morphology and the ocular surface, and the MG morphology associated with aging and gender, in patients with symptoms of dry eye disease (DED).
Methods :
Infrared meibography images of 100 right eyes of 100 patients were studied. Image analysis using ImageJ software was performed to evaluate MG loss (100-grade scale) in the upper (UL) and lower (LL) lids, as well as the MG length, thickness, and tortuosity in the UL. Their correlations with Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Dry Eye Severity Level (DESL), ocular staining (Oxford grading), tear osmolarity, tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer I test, and meibum quality and MG expressibility were investigated.
Results :
Subjects were 41 females and 59 males; age 47.5±1.5 years, range 11 to 82. The MG loss was weakly correlated between the UL and LL (Pearson r=0.292, p=0.003), and MG loss was higher in the LL (median=58.8; UL 32.8; p<0.001). Male eyes demonstrated higher MG loss in the LL (p=0.005). Age correlated significantly with MG loss (r=0.267, p=0.007) and tortuosity (r=-0.362, p<0.001) in the UL only. In the UL, the MG loss correlated with MG expressibility (r=0.413, p<0.001); The MG length correlated significantly with the DESL (r=-0.212, p=0.042), ocular staining (r=-0.269, p=0.007), and MG expressibility (r=-0.448, p<0.001); the MG thickness correlated with OSDI (r=0.296, p=0.006); and MG tortuosity correlated with Schirmer I (r=0.260, p=0.009) and MG expressibility (r=-0.383, p<0.001). In the LL, the MG loss correlated with DESL (r=0.204, p=0.042), ocular staining (r=0.294, p=0.003), and MG expressibility (r= 0.279, p=0.007).
Conclusions :
Meibomian gland loss was correlated between the upper and lower lids, and was associated with aging and gender. The MG loss and its morphologic changes correlated with many clinical ocular surface measurements, and thus, meibography will be important in assessing ocular surface conditions in patients with DED.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.