Treatment of non-inflamed obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction by an infrared warm compression device.
OBJECTIVE
To test the short term efficacy and safety of an infrared warm compression device (IWCD, Eye Hot, Cept Co, Tokyo, Japan) as treatment for non-inflamed meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).


METHODS
37 subjects with non-inflamed obstructive MGD, with and without aqueous tear deficiency (ATD) dry eye, participated in a prospective non-comparative interventional case series. Symptom scores, face scores, tear evaporation rates, fluorescein and rose bengal vital staining, tear break up time (BUT), Schirmer test, meibomian gland obstruction, and meibography were compared before and after 2 weeks of therapy.


RESULTS
In a total of 37 cases, total subjective symptom scores and subjective face scores improved significantly, from 12.3 (SD 5.9) to 8.4 (6.1), and from 7.0 (1.7) to 5.3 (2.0) (both p <0.0001). The results for tear evaporation rates during forced blinking (p = 0.002), fluorescein staining (p = 0.03), rose bengal staining (p = 0.03), BUT (p <0.0001), and meibomian gland orifice obstruction score (p <0.0001) had also improved significantly at the end of the 2 week period of infrared thermotherapy. No complaints and/or complications of the IWCD were reported.


CONCLUSIONS
The IWCD was effective and safe for the treatment of MGD. Improved tear stability associated with release of meibum is a possible mechanism of this treatment.
Goto
E
E
Tokyo Dental College, Department of Ophthalmology, Chiba, Japan. eikigoto@nifty.com
Monden
Y
Y
Takano
Y
Y
Mori
A
A
Shimmura
S
S
Shimazaki
J
J
Tsubota
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism