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Updated: Jun 25, 2025
Intense Pulsed Light for the Treatment of Dry Eye Owing to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
Published on: April 1, 2019
A Review of Intense Pulsed Light in the Treatment of Ocular Rosacea
Mahek Shergill1, Sophie Khaslavsky2, Shani Avraham3
1Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Introduction:
Ocular rosacea is an underdiagnosed form of rosacea that may occur with or without typical cutaneous signs of rosacea. One of the common manifestations is dry eyes. Although the use of intense pulsed light (IPL) in the treatment of rosacea-related dry eyes has been reported, a recent review is lacking.
Methods:
A scoping review was performed to summarize the efficacy of IPL in the treatment of ocular rosacea.
Results:
Five articles were included, representing 108 patients, with a mean age of 58.4 years. Based on available data, 59.2% (n = 58/98) were female. The studies detailed the use of IPL in combination with meibomian gland expression treatment. Overall, 91% (n = 89/98) of patients with ocular rosacea treated with IPL had a partial response and 9% (n = 9/98) had no response. IPL therapy did not lead to complete recovery in any of the included patients. One participant experienced an adverse event across the included studies.
Conclusions:
IPL is a promising treatment modality for ocular rosacea, as demonstrated by its ability to relieve dry eye symptoms with limited adverse events. Further research into this novel treatment is necessary to ascertain its role in the management of ocular rosacea.
