Abstract
Purpose :
Various warming devices have been developed to treat meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). The purpose of this study is to report the outcomes of a novel microwave heating device (Blepha EyeBag®) used according to the posology indicated in the package instructions for the treatment of MGD.
Methods :
This retrospective analysis was conducted at University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro. Patients older than 18 years old attending the ocular surface office for a routine control visit were screened for eligibility according to the following inclusion criteria: diagnosis of MGD whose clinical signs and symptoms were not adequately managed despite first line therapy and pathological values of Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score (≥ 13). Patients were instructed to apply the compress twice daily for 15 days and once per day every two days for the following 30 days, as reported in the package insert. Noninvasive ocular surface workup was performed using Keratograph (Oculus, Germany) at baseline (T0), after 15 days (T1) and after 45 days of eye bag use (T2). Outcome measures were: i) OSDI score, ii) tear meniscus height (TMH), iii) non-invasive keratograph break-up time (NIKBUT) (first and average), iv) meiboscore, v) bulbar redness. Statistical analysis was performed using Prism version 9.5.0 (GraphPad Software Inc., San Diego, California, USA).
Results :
Overall, 19 patients with MGD (8 males, 11 females; mean age 64.58±9.72 years) were included. The mean value of OSDI score showed a significant decrease from 28.16 ± 17.46 at T0 to 13.69 ± 7.62 at T2 (p=0.008). The mean value of NIKBUT first significantly increased from 6.67 ± 3.51 seconds (s) at T0 to 10.46 ± 4.64 at T2 (p=0.0121); in parallel, the mean value of NIKBUT average increased significantly from 11.09 ± 4.15 s at T0 to 14.95 ± 4.85 at T2 (p=0.0049). No significant differences were detected at each time point for bulbar redness, meiboscore and TMH. Throughout the entire study, no adverse events were recorded.
Conclusions :
Blepha EyeBag® treatment, applied twice daily for 15 days and subsequently once every two days for the following 30 days, is both safe and effective, allowing the reduction of ocular discomfort symptoms the increase of tear film stability.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.