title: Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in Rosacea Patients.
abstract: Skin rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting up to 10% of the population in some European countries. Although considered a skin disease, acne rosacea may involve the eyes, causing eyelid and ocular surface inflammation. This study investigated the relationship between skin rosacea and various signs of ocular involvement and evaluated severity of meibomian gland dysfunction in rosacea patients.
  
  
  
  The ocular surface and meibomian gland parameters were evaluated in 41 patients with diagnosed skin rosacea and 44 age-matched healthy controls. We analyzed meibomian gland function (meibum quality and meibum expressibility) and morphology (meibography) and lid margin alterations. We correlated our findings with self-reported ocular symptoms and tear film abnormalities (tear film breakup time, Schirmer test).
  
  
  
  The prevalence of ocular erythema and lid margin alterations was significantly higher in rosacea patients compared with controls. We found that rosacea is accompanied with significant loss of meibomian gland tissue defined as reduced meibomian gland area and decreased meibomian gland density. A positive correlation between margin abnormality score and the extent of meibomian gland loss in rosacea group was observed (rs= +0.30, p = 0.005), suggesting that ocular rosacea is accompanied by meibomian gland dropout.
  
  
  
  Skin rosacea is associated with ocular erythema and lid margin abnormalities. Our results suggest that ocular signs of rosacea may influence meibomian gland morphology, causing meibomian gland loss.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Histology and Embryology , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.|b Department of Ophthalmology , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Machalińska
authors.affiliation: a Department of Histology and Embryology , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.|b Department of Ophthalmology , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zakrzewska
authors.affiliation: c Department of Nursing , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Markowska
authors.affiliation: d Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Safranow
authors.affiliation: a Department of Histology and Embryology , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiszniewska
authors.affiliation: e Department of Forensic Medicine , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parafiniuk
authors.affiliation: f Department of General Pathology , Pomeranian Medical University , Szczecin , Poland.
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Machaliński
mesh_terms: D001762:Blepharitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012393:Rosacea / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*
keywords: Blepharitis; meibography; meibomian gland dysfunction; rosacea