EFFICACY, SENSITIVITY, AND SPECIFICITY OF IN VIVO LASER CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF MEIBOMIAN GLAND DYSFUNCTION

摘要

Original study reprint requests: Murat Dogru, Department of Ocular Surface and Visual Optics, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinanomachi 35, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan. E-mail address: muratodooru@yahoo.com. Research ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy, sensitivity, and specificity of confocal microscopy (CM) parameters: meibomian gland (MG) acinar longest diameter (MGALD), MG acinar shortest diameter (MGASD), inflammatory cell density (ICD), and MG acinar unit density (MGAUD) in the diagnosis of MG dysfunction (MGD). Study Design Prospective, controlled, single-center study. Location Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Funding Source Johnson and Johnson Vision Care Company. Relevant Methodology Twenty MGD patients participated in this study. All patients underwent slit-lamp examinations, tear film break-up time measurements, assessment of tear evaporation rate from the ocular surface (TEROS), vital staining, Schirmer test, meibography, MG expressibility, and CM of the MG. Data were compared between the 2 groups using the Mann-Whitney and chi~2 tests. Outcome Measures The correlation between the clinical findings of tear functions, vital staining scores, and the 4 cm parameters were tested.