Evaluation of a thermal pulsation treatment designed to evacuate meibomian gland obstructions on patients with blepharitis

Poster Details

First Author: C.Schweitzer FRANCE

Co Author(s):    C. Andrebe   O. Chatoux   D. Touboul   J. Colin     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To determine if a new device, which uses thermal pulsation to evacuate meibomian gland obstructions improves symptoms and meibomian gland function in patients with previously diagnosed blepharitis.

Setting:

Department of Ophthalmology, University hospital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France

Methods:

Eleven blepharitis patients (22 eyes) were enrolled in the study. Prior to treatment, all patients underwent an evaluation that included a symptoms questionnaire (SPEED: Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness), visual acuity, clinical examination with assessment of meibomian gland function, quantification of the tear film lipid layer thickness using interferometric color units (ICU) measured with the LipiView (Tearscience inc., Morrisville, NC), and wavefront analysis. Following this, all patients underwent a 12-minute thermal pulsation treatment (LipiFlow, TearScience, Morrisville, NC). The same evaluation was performed one month after treatment to assess improvement resulting from the LipiFlow treatment.

Results:

One-month post-treatment, there was a significant decrease of dry eye symptoms (p<0.04). There was no change in the visual acuity or in the comatic higher order aberrations. One patient had a bilateral punctuate keratitis before treatment which had regressed at one month. The number of functioning glands significantly improved from 3.91+/-1.41 to 7.18+/-3.23 (p<0.001). Pre-treatment, 54.6% of glands produced solid secretions, 36.4% liquid secretions. One month post-treatment, 28.6% produced solid secretions and 71.4% liquid secretions (p<0.05). At one month post-treatment, mean ICU was not significantly different from baseline (55.50+/-17.39 vs. 57.05+/-19.58).

Conclusions:

In patients diagnosed with blepharitis, the LipiFlow treatment resulted in a significant decrease in dry symptoms one-month post treatment. Further, the treatment significantly improved meibomian gland function as determined by the number of glands releasing fluid secretion during diagnostic expression. The LipiFlow treatment may well be a treatment of choice for patients with blepharitis. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE?: No