The Features and Treatment Effects on Keratoepitheliopathy for Meibomitis-Related Keratoconjunctivitis

Meibomitis-related keratoconjunctivitis (MRKC) is characterized by meibomitis with corneal epithelial abnormalities, and can be divided into two types: MRKC accompanied with phlyctenular keratitis, and MRKC accompanied with keratoepitheliopathy that is similar to superficial punctate keratopathy (SPK). The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the characteristic features of keratoepitheliopathy and treatment outcomes for MRKC. This study involved 27 eyes of 18 MRKC patients (3 males and 15 females). National Eye Institute (NEI) scores and visual acuity were compared at pre and post treatment. All subjects were treated with a small-dose administration of clarithromycin. Keratoepitheliopathy characteristic to MRKC, yet different in appearance from SPK, was noted in 24 of the 27 eyes. Fluorescein staining revealed granular epithelial lesions generally larger than SPK that coexisted with small dark spots. In 17 eyes, keratoepitheliopathy was located within the pupillary zone, and the visual acuity in 12 eyes was less than 1.0. Our findings showed significant improvement in the NEI score in MRKC (p < 0.0001) and in visual acuity (p = 0.0157) post treatment, and the characteristic features of keratoepitheliopathy in MRKC that are often associated with decreased visual acuity were elucidated. The treatment of clarithromycin was found to be effective for MRKC with keratoepitheliopathy.