Abstract
Evaluate the improvement in clinical signs and symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) treated with intense pulsed light (IPL) using an acne filter. A retrospective chart review of 70 eyes of 35 patients with moderate-to-severe MGD treated with IPL using the acne filter was performed. IPL treatment was administered using the acne filter four times at 2- to 3-week intervals to upper and lower eyelids. We evaluated tear break-up time (TBUT), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, Sjögren’s International Clinical Collaborative Alliance (SICCA) staining score, and Oxford staining grade. We performed Schirmer’s test I without topical anesthesia, slit-lamp microscopic examination of lid margin and meibomian gland, and patient’s symptom score assessment and evaluated the incidence of adverse effects in the ocular and periocular areas at baseline and 30 days after the final treatment. Significant improvements (P < 0.001) were observed in TBUT, SICCA staining score, Oxford staining grade, quality of meibum, consistency of meibum, lid margin telangiectasia, MGD grade, and patient’s symptom scores after acne filter IPL treatment. Furthermore, the positivity (100 to 71.43%, P = 0.002) and level (2.43 ± 0.98 to 1.14 ± 0.78, P < 0.001) of MMP-9 significantly decreased after treatment. However, there was no significant improvement in Schirmer’s test I (P = 0.224). No systemic or regional adverse effects were observed in any patient. IPL treatment using the acne filter is an effective and safe therapeutic modality for treating moderate-to-severe MGD, especially for lid margin telangiectasia and MMP-9.
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Funding
This work was supported by the Korea Medical Device Development Fund, granted by the Korean government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy; the Ministry of Health and Welfare; the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) (Project Number: 9991006821, KMDF_PR_20200901_0148), by Korean Fund for Regenerative Medicine funded by Ministry of Science and ICT, and Ministry of Health and Welfare (HH21C0012, Republic of Korea), and by a grant from the Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea (2021IP0059-1, 2021IP0061-1).
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JYH: Concept and study design. Data collection. Data interpretation. Data analysis and statistics. Drafting of manuscript.
YL: Concept and study design. Data collection. Data interpretation. Data analysis and statistics.
SN: Data collection. Data interpretation. Data analysis and statistics.
SYM: Data collection. Data interpretation. Data analysis and statistics.
JYK: Study supervision. Revision and final approval of manuscript.
HT: Study supervision. Revision and final approval of manuscript.
HL: Study supervision. Concept and study design. Data interpretation. Data analysis and statistics. Drafting of manuscript. Revision and final approval of manuscript.
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This study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Ethics Committee of Asan Medical Center (Seoul, Republic of Korea) approved the study protocol.
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Han, J.Y., Lee, Y., Nam, S. et al. Effect of intense pulsed light using acne filter on eyelid margin telangiectasia in moderate-to-severe meibomian gland dysfunction. Lasers Med Sci 37, 2185–2192 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-021-03482-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-021-03482-z