Optom Vis Sci. 2021 Jun 1;98(6):605-612. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001711.
The clinical features of meibomian gland disease include altered tear film stability, damage to the ocular surface, symptoms of ocular surface irritation, and visual fluctuations. Finding an adequate treatment to alleviate a patient's signs and symptoms is vital to caring for those with dry eye disease resulting from meibomian gland disease.
The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether the controlled heating of meibomian glands with the SmartLid devices (TearCare) combined with evacuation of the liquefied meibum using a handheld clearance assistant would improve a patient's dry eye symptoms (as measured by the Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness [SPEED] questionnaire) and signs (as measured by meibomian gland expression [MGE] scores).
This study involved a retrospective analysis of data gathered in a single-center ophthalmology/optometry practice. The symptom frequency and severity were assessed using the SPEED questionnaire, and the signs were assessed via MGE scores before and after (8 to 12 weeks) treatment. A further analysis evaluating efficacy in subgroups based on age, race, and sex was performed. A statistical analysis was performed with t tests for group comparisons.
A SPEED questionnaire was answered by 92 patients with dry eye disease. In addition, each patient's meibomian gland function was recorded as MGE scores for each eye (176 eyes). These procedures were completed before and approximately 8 weeks after a single bilateral TearCare treatment. The median total SPEED score was reduced from 16 to 9, and the total MGE scores improved from 5.0 to 9.0 in the right eye and 4.0 to 9.0 in the left eye after a single TearCare treatment.
A single TearCare treatment was effective in reducing both the signs and symptoms of dry eye in all subjects.
睑板腺疾病的临床特征包括泪膜稳定性改变、眼表损伤、眼表刺激症状和视觉波动。找到一种缓解患者症状的充分治疗方法对于患有因睑板腺疾病引起的干眼症的患者至关重要。
本分析旨在确定使用 SmartLid 设备（TearCare）控制加热睑板腺并结合手持清除辅助工具清除液化的睑脂是否会改善患者的干眼症状（通过标准化患者眼干评估问卷[SPEED]问卷测量）和体征（通过睑板腺分泌[MGE]评分测量）。
本研究涉及对单中心眼科/验光实践中收集的数据进行回顾性分析。使用 SPEED 问卷评估症状频率和严重程度，并在治疗前后（8 至 12 周）通过 MGE 评分评估体征。还根据年龄、种族和性别进行了基于亚组的疗效评估分析。采用 t 检验进行组间比较的统计分析。
有 92 名干眼症患者回答了 SPEED 问卷。此外，还为每位患者的每只眼的睑板腺功能记录了 MGE 评分（176 只眼）。这些程序在单侧 TearCare 治疗前和大约 8 周后完成。右眼的总 SPEED 评分中位数从 16 降至 9，左眼从 5.0 升至 9.0，总 MGE 评分在单次 TearCare 治疗后得到改善。
单次 TearCare 治疗可有效减轻所有受试者的干眼症状和体征。
