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The evaluation of the treatment response in obstructive meibomian gland disease by in vivo laser confocal microscopy

  • Cornea
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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the status of periglandular inflammation, ocular surface and tear function alterations in patients with obstructive meibomian gland disease (OMGD) by in vivo confocal microscopy before and after anti-inflammatory treatment, and to compare the results with patients receiving only topical non-preserved artificial tears and sodium hyaluronate eye drops without anti-inflammatory agents.

Methods

Thirty-two eyes of 16 OMGD patients receiving anti-inflammatory treatment (treatment group) and 22 eyes of 11 OMGD patients receiving only topical non-preserved artificial tears and sodium hyaluronate eye drops (control group) were recruited in this prospective study. All subjects underwent slit-lamp examinations, tear film break-up time (BUT) measurements, fluorescein and Rose-Bengal stainings, Schirmer test І without anesthesia, transillumination of the lids (meibography), and in vivo laser confocal microscopy of the lids (HRTII-RCM).

Results

The mean BUT, fluorescein staining scores, and inflammatory cell densities observed by in vivo confocal microscopy improved significantly in the group receiving anti-inflammatory treatment (p < 0.05), whereas no significant alterations of these parameters were observed in the group not receiving anti-inflammatory agents (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

In vivo confocal microscopy was able to effectively demonstrate the treatment responses in patients with OMGD. Inflammatory cell density calculation seems to be a promising new parameter of in vivo confocal microscopy in the evaluation of treatment responses.

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Acknowledgement

The authors have no proprietary interest in any of the products mentioned in this paper. Presented at the 32nd Japan Cornea Conference, 28 February-1 March 2008, Urayasu, Japan. This work was supported in part by research grants from J&J Vision Care Company. Yukihiro Matsumoto and Yuta Shigeno contributed equally to the work and request acknowledgement of double first authorship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johnson & Johnson Department of Ocular Surface and Visual Optics, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinanomachi 35, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan

    Yukihiro Matsumoto, Enrique Adan Sato, Osama M. A. Ibrahim & Murat Dogru

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Yuta Shigeno, Megumi Saiki, Kazuno Negishi, Yoko Ogawa & Kazuo Tsubota

Authors
  1. Yukihiro Matsumoto
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  2. Yuta Shigeno
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  3. Enrique Adan Sato
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  4. Osama M. A. Ibrahim
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  5. Megumi Saiki
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  6. Kazuno Negishi
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  7. Yoko Ogawa
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  8. Murat Dogru
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  9. Kazuo Tsubota
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Correspondence to Murat Dogru.

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Matsumoto, Y., Shigeno, Y., Sato, E.A. et al. The evaluation of the treatment response in obstructive meibomian gland disease by in vivo laser confocal microscopy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 247, 821–829 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-008-1017-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-008-1017-y

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