title: Meibomian gland morphology in Japanese infants, children, and adults observed using a mobile pen-shaped infrared meibography device.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare meibomian gland morphology between children and adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, observational case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  In an institutional setting, healthy pediatric (n = 78, 30 boys, 48 girls; mean age ± standard deviation, 4.1 ± 3.4 years; range 1 month - 12 years) and adult (n = 25, 11 men, 14 women; 31.3 ± 4.8 years; range 24-39 years) volunteers participated in the study. A noninvasive mobile pen-shaped infrared meibography device was used to observe the meibomian glands. Lost meibomian gland area (meiboscore) was scored from grade 0 (no meibomian gland loss) through grade 3 (>two-thirds of the total area lost). The number of meibomian glands in each eyelid was counted by reviewing the video. Eyelid width was measured using a ruler. Meibomian gland density was calculated as the number of meibomian glands divided by the eyelid width.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The numbers of meibomian glands in the upper/lower eyelids were 26.9 ± 3.9 / 22.0 ± 2.2 in the pediatric group and 28.1 ± 2.7 / 24.4 ± 2.6 in the adult group (P = .22, P < .0001). Eyelid width was 24.4 ± 2.4 mm in the pediatric group and 27.9 ± 1.57 mm in the adult group (P < .0001). Meibomian gland densities in the upper/lower eyelids were 1.09 ± 0.17 / 0.91 ± 0.11 in the pediatric group and 1.01 ± 0.12 / 0.88 ± 0.10 in the adult group (P = .03, P = .45).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mobile pen-shaped infrared meibography device is useful for obtaining information on the meibomian gland structure, not only in adults but also in children, including infants. The morphology of the meibomian glands in children was the same as that in adults, distributing across the whole tarsal plates in both the upper and lower eyelids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arita
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult