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Swiderska K, Blackie CA, Maldonado-Codina C, Fergie M, Read ML, Morgan PB. Temporal variations in meibomian gland structure-A pilot study. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2024; 44:894-909. [PMID: 38708449 DOI: 10.1111/opo.13321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate whether there is a measurable change in meibomian gland morphological characteristics over the course of a day (12 h) and over a month. METHODS The study enrolled 15 participants who attended a total of 11 study visits spanning a 5-week period. To assess diurnal changes in meibomian glands, seven visits were conducted on a single day, each 2 h apart. For monthly assessment, participants attended an additional visit at the same time of the day every week for three consecutive weeks. Meibography using the LipiView® II system was performed at each visit, and meibomian gland morphological parameters were calculated using custom semi-automated software. Specifically, six central glands were analysed for gland length ratio, gland width, gland area, gland intensity and gland tortuosity. RESULTS The average meibomian gland morphological metrics did not exhibit significant changes during the course of a day or over a month. Nonetheless, certain individual gland metrics demonstrated notable variation over time, both diurnally and monthly. Specifically, meibomian gland length ratio, area, width and tortuosity exhibited significant changes both diurnally and monthly when assessed on a gland-by-gland basis. CONCLUSIONS Meibomian glands demonstrated measurable structural change over short periods of time (hours and days). These results have implications for innovation in gland imaging and for developing precision monitoring of gland structure to assess meibomian gland health more accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasandra Swiderska
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Carole Maldonado-Codina
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Martin Fergie
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael L Read
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Philip B Morgan
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Swiderska K, Blackie CA, Maldonado-Codina C, Fergie M, Read ML, Morgan PB. Evaluation of Meibomian gland structure and appearance after therapeutic Meibomian gland expression. Clin Exp Optom 2024; 107:504-514. [PMID: 37989323 DOI: 10.1080/08164622.2023.2251994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
CLINICAL RELEVANCE Evaluating how Meibomian glands can change in appearance has the potential to advance the understanding of Meibomian gland health and may lead to enhanced diagnosis and therapy. BACKGROUND This work aimed to investigate Meibomian gland appearance after therapeutic Meibomian gland expression. METHODS Fifteen subjects attended three study visits over a two-week period. Meibography was performed before and after therapeutic Meibomian gland expression, the following day, and 2 weeks after expression. Six central glands were used to calculate Meibomian gland morphological parameters such as gland length ratio, gland width, gland area, gland tortuosity, and gland contrast. A custom semi-automated image analysis software was used to calculate Meibomian gland metrics. Furthermore, a high-resolution imaging system was developed to capture clear images of the Meibomian glands, free of any artefacts, which were used for precise calculations of Meibomian gland contrast. RESULTS The expression procedure had a significant impact on Meibomian gland contrast and length ratio immediately afterwards. The least square mean difference (95% CI) from baseline for Michelson contrast was -0.006 (-0.010, -0.001) and -1.048 (-2.063, -0.033) for simple contrast. The least square mean ratio of the gland length ratio immediately after the expression to baseline was 0.758 (0.618, 0.931). CONCLUSIONS Following therapeutic expression, Meibomian glands exhibit reduced brightness and length. However, within 24 h, they appear to recover and return to their baseline state, indicating a relatively short recovery time. This sheds light on whether meibography is solely focused on capturing gland structure or if it also captures acinar activity. The hyperreflective properties of lipids suggest that the decrease in contrast observed after expression could be attributed to a reduction in the visualisation of acini activity. A decrease in Meibomian gland length ratio implies that the loss of gland structure following treatment may be indicative of a temporary structural alteration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasandra Swiderska
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Caroline A Blackie
- Medical Affairs Department, Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Carole Maldonado-Codina
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Martin Fergie
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael L Read
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Philip B Morgan
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Srivastav S, Hasnat Ali M, Basu S, Singh S. Morphologic variants of Meibomian glands: age-wise distribution and differences between upper and lower eyelids. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1195568. [PMID: 37731719 PMCID: PMC10507340 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1195568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate the distribution of various Meibomian gland morphologies across different age groups in healthy individuals. Methods The infrared meibographic morphologies of the Meibomian glands from the upper and lower eyelids of 236 healthy individuals (472 eyes; mean age 38.4 ± 17.5 years; 80 female participants: 156 male participants) were evaluated for their prevalence and differences across six decades of life, from 10 to 80 years. A linear mixed-effects modeling test was performed for statistical analysis. Results Of 14,452 glands, 8,830 (61%) glands were located in the upper eyelid. No significant differences in frequency were noted between different age groups for distorted, tortuous, hooked, overlapping, abnormal gap, fluffy areas, dropout (except for 51-60 vs. 10-20 years, P = 0.023), and thick and thin morphologies. Short glands were significantly more common in individuals aged over 30 years (P = 0.015), whereas moderately short and severely short glands were more common in the upper eyelids of individuals older than 50 years compared to those aged 10-20 years (P = 0.035). The frequency of distorted, hooked, tortuous, overlapping, and tadpole-shaped Meibomian glands was significantly higher in the upper eyelids than in the lower eyelids for all age groups. Dropout glands were more common in the lower eyelids of individuals younger than 50 years, but no difference was observed in the upper and lower eyelids of individuals over 50 years. Dropout (P = 0.006) and severely short glands (0.026) of the lower eyelid were associated with low non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT) values. Conclusion Various morphologic characteristics of the Meibomian glands that are considered abnormal can be present in healthy individuals, and only moderate to severely short glands display an increase in abnormal morphologic characteristics of the Meibomian glands with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Srivastav
- Centre for Ocular Regeneration, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Mohammed Hasnat Ali
- Department of Computational Bio-Statistics and Data Sciences, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Indian Health Outcomes, Public Health and Economics Research Center, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sayan Basu
- Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institute, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Swati Singh
- Centre for Ocular Regeneration, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Services, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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Amano S, Shimazaki J, Yokoi N, Hori Y, Arita R. Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Clinical Practice Guidelines. Jpn J Ophthalmol 2023; 67:448-539. [PMID: 37351738 DOI: 10.1007/s10384-023-00995-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Amano
- Ochanomizu Inoue Eye Clinic, 4-3 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan.
| | - Jun Shimazaki
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College Ichikawa General Hospital, Ichikawa, Japan
| | - Norihiko Yokoi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuichi Hori
- Department of Ophthalmology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
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Swiderska K, Blackie CA, Maldonado-Codina C, Fergie M, Morgan PB, Read ML. Development of Artefact-Free Imaging System for Accurate Meibomian Gland Reflectivity Assessment. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2023; 12:9. [PMID: 36749580 PMCID: PMC9919613 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.12.2.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To develop and evaluate a custom imaging system to provide high-resolution, wide depth-of-field, reflection-free, multispectral infrared (IR) imaging of the Meibomian glands. Methods Lower eyelids of 15 volunteers were everted to obtain multispectral images of the Meibomian glands with custom imaging setup. Photographs were captured at 10 different ISO settings (from underexposure to overexposure) and using nine IR imaging filters (ranging from 600 nm to 1000 nm in 50-nm steps). Meibomian gland contrast (simple and Michelson) was calculated for the images to choose an optimal wavelength for Meibomian gland imaging and to determine differences in contrast across individuals. Results The overall linear regression model showed a significant effect of wavelength on Meibomian gland contrast (Simple contrast: F = 7.24, P < 0.0001; Michelson contrast: F = 7.19, P < 0.0001). There was a significant negative correlation between Meibomian gland contrast and Meibomian gland depth for 750-nm IR filter (ρs= -0.579; P = 0.026). Conclusions Meibomian gland contrast varies across individuals and depends on Meibomian gland depth. IR filter of 750 nm is the optimal choice for Meibomian gland imaging because it provides images of greatest contrast. Translational Relevance This study adds to our understanding of Meibomian gland imaging. It has successfully demonstrated that Meibomian glands that are deeper in the tarsal plate require longer wavelengths for imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasandra Swiderska
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Carole Maldonado-Codina
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Martin Fergie
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Philip B. Morgan
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael L. Read
- Eurolens Research, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Latest developments in meibography: A review. Ocul Surf 2022; 25:119-128. [PMID: 35724917 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtos.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Meibography is a visualisation technique that has been used for over 40 years. There have been significant improvements in image quality, examination technique and image interpretation over this period. Although meibography has received sporadic reviews in the past, an updated review is timely due to the rapid recent rise of relevant technology and advances in both image processing and artificial intelligence. The primary aim of this paper is to review recent research into Meibomian gland imaging and update the community about the most relevant technologies and approaches used in the field.
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Comparative of meibomian gland morphology in patients with evaporative dry eye disease versus non-dry eye disease. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20729. [PMID: 34671059 PMCID: PMC8528818 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00122-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many recent studies have showed that morphological changes are one of the key signs of meibomian gland disease (MGD). These changes can be seen even before symptom onset, potentially underestimating the prevalence of MGD; however, until now, there is no conclusive information about the impact of meibomian gland (MG) morphology in tear film physiology and disease. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anatomical and morphological MG alterations between patients with evaporative dry eye disease (DED) and healthy controls. Retrospective chart review of seventy-five patients with evaporative DED and healthy individuals who had dry eye assessments included Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire, meibum quality, meibum expressibility, lid margin abnormality, ocular staining, non-invasive tear film break-up time, and meibography. We did not find significant differences in MG alterations in the upper lid between healthy and DED subjects. Patients with evaporative DED presented MG alterations in the lower lid more frequently than healthy subjects (54.8 vs. 30.3%; p = 0.03). The presence of shortened glands was the only MG alteration that was more prevalent in the lower lid in dry-eye patients than in healthy subjects (p < 0.05). Subjects with evaporative DED presented more alterations in the lower lid than healthy subjects.
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