Clinical evaluation of the optimal pulse technology treatment for dry eye disease caused by meibomian gland dysfunction

Abstract

Purpose : No previous trial of optimal pulse technology (OPT) targeting both upper and lower eyelids was done to treat meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
We performed a prospective, randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of the OPT treatment for dry eye disease (DED) caused by MGD compared with the conventional treatment.

Methods : Seventeen patients (thirty-four eyes) with DED caused by MGD were enrolled. 2007 Dry eye workshop diagnostic criterias and 2011 MGD Workshop diagnostic criterias were both met.
The two eyes of each patient were included in two groups respectively and randomly. Group A received OPT, lid cleansing, lid massage and artificial tears. Group B received tobramycin and dexamethasone eye drops, warm compress, lid cleansing, lid massage and artificial tears.
The OSDI, BUT, CFS, tear cytokine level, gland expressibility, meibum quality and gland dropout were evaluated before treatment and 1 week, 4 weeks, 5 weeks, 8 weeks, 9 weeks, 12 weeks after treatment.
SPSS 23 was used to analyze the data. The mean and standard deviation were used for statistical comparison for BUT. The median, maximum and minimum were used for other parameters.

Results : 1.The OSDI showed a significant decrease from Week 1 to Week 12.
2.BUT and gland expressibility significantly improved in both groups from Week 1 to Week 12, and improvements were more prominent in Group A compared with Group B.
3.CFS, meibum quality and gland dropout didn’t show lasting alterations.
4.Interleukin (IL)-6 level significantly decreased at Week 12 in Group A while at Week 1, Week 4, Week 8 and Week 12 in Group B.

Conclusions : OPT performed on both upper and lower eyelid has a more excellent efficacy to DED caused by MGD compared with conventional treatment.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.

 

Procedures of the trial

 

The median, minimum and maximum of gland expressibility score and P value among variables