Risk Factors Of Meibomian Gland Drop Out In Dry Eye Disease

To explore the risk factors of meibomian gland dropout in dry eye disease.

Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Wonju, Korea

The medical records of 229 dry eye disease patients who had been taken meibography using IDRA (SBM sistemi, Torino, Italy) were retrospectively

reviewed. Subjects were divided into 4 groups according to the degree of meibomian gland drop out (0:0~25%, 1:25~50%, 2:50~75%, 3>75%) which was graded by  gland loss area divided by lower conjunctival area. Telangiectasia and irregularity of eyelid margin, OSDI, NIBUT, LLT and TMH were compared in 4 groups. Age, gender, history of eyeline tattoo, history of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and autoimmune diseases were collected. Risk factors for severe meibomian gland dropout defined by >75% gland loss were explored using logistic regression.

Significant linear trends were observed between MG dropout and age. A thinner lipid layer thickness was observed in subjects with MG dropout.  Subjects with severe MG drop out had a higher frequency of eyelid tattoos, hyperlipidemia,  and chemotherapy (p=0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, eyelid tattoo, history of hyperlipidemia and chemotherapy were significant risk factors of severe MG dropout after adjusting other confounding variables.

Age and history of eyelid line tattoo, hyperlipidemia, and chemotherapy were significant factors that possibly leading to severe meibomian gland loss in dry eye disease patients.