title: Morphologic and volumetric studies of the meibomian glands in elderly human eyelids.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the microscopic structure of postmortem human Meibomian glands (MGs) in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human MG samples from left lower eyelids were obtained at autopsy from 5 men and 4 women with a mean age of 63.1 +/- 7.67 years. The tissues were fixed and embedded in paraffin. Serial transverse sections 5 mum thick were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), van Gieson, and Masson blue stains. Computer-assisted 3-dimensional reconstructions of MGs were performed, and morphologic and volumetric data were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average length of human MGs in the nasal, central, and temporal areas was 1.551 +/- 0.43, 1.654 +/- 0.47, and 1.594 +/- 0.57 mm, respectively. The average surface area of the glands in the nasal, central, and temporal areas was 0.029 +/- 0.03, 0.033 +/- 0.01, and 0.056 +/- 0.03 mm, respectively. The average volume of glands in the nasal, central, and temporal areas was 0.054 +/- 00.4, 0.056 +/- 0.03, and 0.053 +/- 0.03 mm, respectively. A circular, floral arrangement of acini, surrounding the terminal duct just deep to the skin, is probably responsible for the circular arrangement seen clinically around each healthy orifice. We confirmed that most glands are embedded within a cylindrical, connective tissue matrix.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report the dimensions of normal Meibomian acini in an older population. Some structural features observed may explain normal physiologic landmarks or contribute to glandular pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: University of California San Diego, Shiley Eye Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. ikozak@eyecenter.ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kozak
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bron
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kucharova
authors.forename: Darina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kluchova
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marsala
authors.forename: Chris W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Heichel
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tiffany
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005143:Eyelids / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000166:cytology*; D008875:Middle Aged