Quantitative and qualitative assessment of evaporative dry eye post intense pulsed light therapy, a prospective study

This study aimed to determine the effect of intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment on meibomian gland disease.

This is a prospective interventional study.

Seventy eyes of patients with dry eye disease undergoing three sessions of IPL therapy, 15 days apart, were included. Each patient completed the dry eye questionnaire (SPEED) for symptomatic assessment. Dry eye evaluation tests were performed, including Schirmer's 1 test, meiboscopy, noninvasive tear break-up time (NIBUT) and interferometry. These tests were repeated before each IPL session.

Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software (Version 20, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). To Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the normality of the variables. The Chi-square test was applied for statistical analysis. Level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.

The mean symptom score from the dry eye questionnaire (SPEED) showed a significant reduction of 24.5% ( p < 0.001) in symptoms. Schirmer's 1 test showed an improvement of 16.43% on day 15 and 40.13% on day 45. Meiboscopy grade improved by 13.54% on day 45. NIBUT improved from 53.29% on day 15 to 135.53% on day 45. Interferometry showed an improvement of 58.91% on day 45.

The various investigative tests demonstrated both qualitative and quantitative improvements in dry eye disease, and patients reported symptomatic relief. The effects of IPL therapy, in terms of symptomatic relief, continued to improve with each session. The quality of the tear film also improved progressively. IPL therapy is a potential therapeutic option for MGD.