Table 3.
Characteristics of the study subjects with aqueous-deficient dry eye and mild meibomian gland dysfunction in intense pulsed light (IPL)-meibomian gland expression (MGX) and MGX (control) groups before as well as 1 and 3 months after the final treatment session.
| Characteristic | Group | Baseline | 1 Month after the Final Treatment Session | 3 Months after the Final Treatment Session | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean ± SD | Adjusted p Value for IPL-MGX vs. Control | Mean ± SD | Mean Change ± SE | Adjusted p Value vs. Baseline | Adjusted p Value for IPL-MGX vs. Control |
Mean ± SD | Mean Change ± SE | Adjusted p Value vs. Baseline | Adjusted p Value for IPL-MGX vs. Control | ||
| SPEED score | Control | 14.2 ± 4.6 | 0.53 | 10.1 ± 3.9 | −4.2 ± 0.6 | <0.001 ** | 0.003 * | 10.4 ± 4.1 | −3.8 ± 0.6 | <0.001 ** | <0.001 ** |
| (0–28) | IPL-MGX | 15.9 ± 4.2 | 6.0 ± 4.6 | −9.9 ± 0.7 | <0.001 ** | 4.2 ± 3.9 | −11.7 ± 0.9 | <0.001 ** | |||
| LLT | Control | 63.1 ± 16.2 | 0.72 | 56.1 ± 11.2 | −7.0 ± 2.6 | 0.055 | <0.001 ** | 57.9 ± 11.8 | −5.2 ± 2.7 | 0.14 | <0.001 ** |
| (nm) | IPL-MGX | 66.6 ± 24.1 | 78.6 ± 21.5 | 14.7 ± 3.2 | <0.001 ** | 84.2 ± 20.6 | 18.3 ± 2.9 | <0.001 ** | |||
| Plugging | Control | 1.0 ± 0.2 | 0.88 | 0.8 ± 0.4 | −0.3 ± 0.1 | 0.002 * | <0.001 ** | 1.1 ± 0.3 | 0.1 ± 0.1 | 0.37 | <0.001 ** |
| (0–3) | IPL-MGX | 1.0 ± 0.0 | 0.3 ± 0.4 | −0.7 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | 0.3 ± 0.5 | −0.7 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | |||
| Vascularity | Control | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 0.85 | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 1 | <0.001 ** | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 1 | <0.001 ** |
| (0–3) | IPL-MGX | 1.9 ± 0.8 | 0.8 ± 0.7 | −1.1 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | 0.9 ± 0.7 | −1.0 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | |||
| Meiboscore | Control | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 0.69 | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 1 | 0.32 | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 1 | 0.69 |
| (0–6) | IPL-MGX | 1.5 ± 1.0 | 1.5 ± 1.0 | −0.1 ± 0.0 | 0.088 | 1.5 ± 1.0 | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 1 | |||
| Meibum grade | Control | 2.0 ± 0.0 | 1 | 1.6 ± 0.5 | −0.4 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | <0.001 ** | 1.9 ± 0.4 | −0.2 ± 0.1 | 0.025 * | <0.001 ** |
| (0–3) | IPL-MGX | 2.0 ± 0.0 | 0.5 ± 0.6 | −1.5 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | 0.4 ± 0.6 | −1.6 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | |||
| NIBUT | Control | 2.2 ± 1.1 | 1 | 3.6 ± 1.6 | 1.4 ± 0.2 | <0.001 ** | 0.002 * | 2.4 ± 1.2 | 0.2 ± 0.1 | 0.22 | <0.001 ** |
| (s) | IPL-MGX | 2.1 ± 1.3 | 5.3 ± 2.2 | 3.2 ± 0.3 | <0.001 ** | 5.5 ± 2.0 | 3.4 ± 0.3 | <0.001 ** | |||
| FBUT | Control | 2.4 ± 1.1 | 0.84 | 3.4 ± 1.5 | 1.1 ± 0.2 | <0.001 ** | 0.001 * | 2.5 ± 1.3 | 0.1 ± 0.1 | 0.17 | <0.001 ** |
| (s) | IPL-MGX | 2.2 ± 1.3 | 5.2 ± 2.0 | 3.0 ± 0.4 | <0.001 ** | 5.4 ± 2.1 | 3.2 ± 0.4 | <0.001 ** | |||
| Fluo score | Control | 3.2 ± 0.8 | 0.75 | 2.7 ± 0.9 | −0.5 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | <0.001 ** | 2.9 ± 0.9 | −0.3 ± 0.1 | <0.001 ** | <0.001 ** |
| (0–9) | IPL-MGX | 3.4 ± 2.2 | 0.5 ± 0.9 | −3.0 ± 0.3 | <0.001 ** | 0.3 ± 0.6 | −3.1 ± 0.3 | <0.001 ** | |||
| Schirmer’s test value | Control | 2.4 ± 1.5 | 1 | 2.4 ± 1.5 | 0.0 ± 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 2.5 ± 1.4 | 0.1 ± 0.1 | 1 | 0.89 |
| (mm) | IPL-MGX | 2.3 ± 1.5 | 2.2 ± 1.4 | −0.1 ± 0.2 | 1 | 2.2 ± 1.4 | −0.1 ± 0.1 | 0.84 | |||
SPEED score: control group (n = 20); IPL-MGX group (n = 23). Other characteristics: control group (n = 40 eyes); IPL-MGX group (n = 46 eyes). p values were determined with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test vs. baseline or Mann–Whitney U test vs. control with Bonferroni’s correction (* adjusted p < 0.05, ** adjusted p < 0.001). SPEED, standard patient evaluation of eye dryness; LLT, lipid layer thickness; NIBUT, noninvasive breakup time; FUBT, fluorescein breakup time; Fluo, fluorescein staining; SE, standard errors; SD, standard deviations.