Department of Optics and Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Valencia, C/Dr Moliner, 50 - 46100, Burjassot, Spain.
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2021 May;259(5):1323-1331. doi: 10.1007/s00417-020-05034-7. Epub 2021 Jan 6.
The aim of this study is to develop a new objective semiautomatic method for analysing Meibomian glands visibility quantitatively.
One hundred twelve healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 90 years (48.29 ± 27.46 years) participated in this study. Infrared meibography was obtained from the right upper eyelid through Oculus Keratograph 5 M. Meibographies were classified into 3 groups: Group 1 = patients with good subjective glands visibility and a gland dropout percentage < 1/3 of the total Meibomian gland area; Group 2 = patients with low subjective glands visibility and a gland dropout < 1/3; and Group 3 = patients with low subjective glands visibility and a gland dropout > 1/3. New metrics based on the visibility of the Meibomian glands were calculated and later compared between groups. Rho Spearman test was used to assess the correlation between each metric, and Meibomian gland dropout percentage with the entire sample and after excluding Group 2. A p value less than 0.05 was defined as statistically significant.
Fifty-six subjects were classified in Group 1 (24.48 ± 9.62 years), 19 in Group 2 (69.16 ± 21.30 years) and 37 in Group 3 (73.59 ± 13.70 years). No statistically significant differences were found between Groups 1 and 2 in dropout percentage. All metrics, with the exception of entropy, showed a higher Meibomian gland visibility in Group 1 than in the other two groups. Moderate correlations were statistically significant for all metrics with the exception of entropy. Correlations were higher after excluding Group 2.
The proposed method is able to assess Meibomian gland visibility in an objective and repeatable way, which might help clinicians enhance Meibomian gland dysfunction diagnosis and follow-up treatment.
本研究旨在开发一种新的客观半自动方法，用于定量分析睑板腺的可视性。
本研究纳入 112 名年龄在 18 至 90 岁之间（48.29±27.46 岁）的健康志愿者。使用 Oculus Keratograph 5M 对右侧上眼睑进行红外睑板腺照相。将睑板腺照相分为 3 组：组 1=患者主观上睑板腺可视性良好，且睑板腺缺失率<总睑板腺面积的 1/3；组 2=患者主观上睑板腺可视性较差，且睑板腺缺失率<1/3；组 3=患者主观上睑板腺可视性较差，且睑板腺缺失率>1/3。基于睑板腺可视性计算新的度量标准，并在组间进行比较。采用 Rho Spearman 检验评估各度量标准与全样本以及排除组 2 后与全样本之间的相关性。p 值<0.05 定义为统计学显著。
56 例患者归入组 1（24.48±9.62 岁），19 例归入组 2（69.16±21.30 岁），37 例归入组 3（73.59±13.70 岁）。组 1 和组 2 的缺失率无统计学差异。除了熵之外，所有度量标准在组 1 中均显示出较高的睑板腺可视性。除了熵之外，所有度量标准的相关性均具有统计学意义。排除组 2 后相关性更高。
所提出的方法能够客观、重复地评估睑板腺的可视性，这可能有助于临床医生增强对睑板腺功能障碍的诊断和随访治疗。
