Utility assessment of diagnostic procedures used in Meibomian gland dysfunction

Aim
The aim of this study was to investigate the asociation between severity of Meibomian gland dysfunction, Meibomian gland loss, self-reported dry eye symptoms as well as results of diagnostic tests available for dry eye assessment.

Material and methods
Ninety one patients (182 eyes) aged 20 to 75 were enrolled in the study. History was taken from all subjects regarding self-reported ocular symptoms and further examination was performed sequentially as follows: blinking rate measurement, slit lamp examination including quantification of morphologic lid features, tear film break-up time testing, Schirmer test, assessment of Meibomian gland morphology using meibography and meibum quality or expressibility grading.

Results
Meibomian gland loss positively correlated with meibum quality (rs = .2, p = .006) and expressibility (rs = .19, p = .009). There was a significant association between dry eye symptoms and meibomian gland loss (rs = .22, p = .003). Blinking rate correlated with morphological and functional Meibomian gland parameters, lid margin abnormalities (rs = .27, p = .0002) and Schirmer test score (rs = .16, p = .03).

Conclusions
Ocular symptom assessment, blinking rate and meibum expressibility/quality grading all have diagnostic power to identify patients with Meibomian gland dysfunction.