Posters

Evaluation of dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction in female androgenetic alopecia patients

Poster Details

First Author: P.Kiyat TURKEY

Co Author(s):    M. Palamar   B. Gerceker Turk   A. Yagci              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate dry eye tests and to analyse Meibomian gland functions with meibography in female androgenetic alopecia patients

Setting:

Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir, Turkey

Methods:

Twenty left eyes of 20 female androgenetic alopecia patients(Group 1) and 20 left eyes of 20 healthy female volunteers(Group 2) were enrolled in the study.The presence of dry eye was evaluated with Schirmer 1 test, tear film break-up time(T-BUT), Oxford scale scoring according to corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining and Ocular Surface Disease Index(OSDI) score assessments.The drop-out ratio of Meibomian glands was evaluated by upper and lower eyelid meibography using infrared biomicroscope captures(Topcon, SL-D701, IJssel, The The Netherlands) and was scored for each eyelid from grade 0 (no loss) through grade 3 (lost area >2/3 of the total Meibomian gland area).

Results:

The mean ages of Group 1 and Group 2 were 48.3±6.6 (range, 38-58) and 49.8±5.4 (range, 38-59) years, respectively (P=0.437). Mean T-BUT was statistically significantly lower in Group 1 (P=0.013), and mean OSDI score was significantly higher in Group 1 (P=0.049). The mean Schirmer 1 score was lower and mean Oxford score was higher in Group 1 but the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.291, P=0.088, respectively). In addition, upper, lower and total meiboscores were significantly higher in Group 1 (P=0.007, P=0.003, P=0.002, respectively).

Conclusions:

Alterations in sex hormones play an important role in pathogenesis of both female androgenetic alopecia and Meibomian gland dysfunction. Between patients with female androgenetic alopecia and those that are healthy, there are significant differences detected in the results of dry eye tests and Meibomian gland drop out ratios. For this reason female androgenetic alopecia patients should also be examined for dry eye and Meibomian gland dysfunction, which if detected, should be treated to prevent serious consequences.

Financial Disclosure:

None