Single thermal pulsation system treatment appears effective for MGD
A 12-minute treatment with a thermal pulsation treatment system (LipiFlow) relieved symptoms and meibomian gland lipid secretion function in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), according to a study.
In this prospective, randomized clinical trial, 100 eyes of 50 patients were randomized to receive a single thermal pulsation system treatment (n = 50) or daily warm compress treatment for 2 weeks after an initial manual lid massage (n = 50). Both groups had comparable parameters at baseline.
Over the first 3 months of treatment, Standard Patient Evaluation for Eye Dryness questionnaire score and tear-film breakup time improved in both groups. Meibomian glands yielding lipid secretion number, meibomian glands secretion score, lipid layer thickness improved in the thermal pulsation system treatment group. Improvements were maintained at 3 months.
At 1 month, corneal fluorescein staining showed significant improvement in warm compress group compared with the thermal pulsation system treatment group.
A correlation analysis found lipid layer thickness was positively correlated with tear-film breakup time, meibomian glands secretion score, and meibomian glands yielding lipid number.
Reference
Meng Z, Chu X, Zhang C, et al. Efficacy and Safety evaluation of a single thermal pulsation system treatment (Lipiflow®) on meibomian gland dysfunction: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Int Ophthalmol. 2022;doi: 10.1007/s10792-022-02516-x. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36112256.
