Meibography follow up studies in dry eye patients

Purpose Meibomian‐Gland‐Dysfunction (MGD) is one of the main causes for the development of a hyperevaporative dry eye. Non‐contact Meibography can achieve a non‐invasive investigation of the meibomian glands inside the tarsal plates of the eyelids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate non‐contact Meibography as a tool for follow‐up studies in dry eye patients. Methods We examined 50 patients suffering from dry eye disease of the dry eye unit of the Ophthalmological Department of the Medical University of Graz. Subjective dry eye symptoms and objective signs of dry eye were evaluated. Non‐contact Meibography was performed by a Heidelberg Retina Angiograph 1, featuring two infrared diode lasers. Partial or complete loss of the meibomian glands was scored according to meiboscore of Arita and colleagues. After one year non‐contact Meibography was reassessed. Changes in the meiboscore were evaluated. Results The mean age of the study population was 57.9 ± 14.1 years and 64.7 % were women. There was no statistically significant change in the mean meiboscore. Conclusion Non‐contact Meibography is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of MGD. Morphological changes and a possible drop out of Meibomian glands can easily be assessed. The ideal follow‐up interval to detect changes in the meiboscore has yet to be determined.