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Updated: May 8, 2026
Intense Pulsed Light for the Treatment of Dry Eye Owing to Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
Published on: April 1, 2019
Therapeutic effect of intense pulsed light in ocular demodicosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Hsin-Ming Liu1, Shannon Su2, Cher-Ming Liou3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, No. 92, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan; Cochrane Taiwan, Taipei Medical University, No. 250, Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Aims:
To assess the effect of intense pulsed light (IPL) on reducing ocular demodicosis.
Methods:
A systematic literature search was conducted up to March 8, 2025, using the PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or non-RCTs with Demodex measurements before and after IPL therapy were included.
Results:
Six trials (five RCTs + one non-RCT) involving 329 adults were included. The overall risk of bias was assessed as low to moderate, and the certainty of evidence for all outcomes was considered low. IPL reduced Demodex mites per 100 eyelashes, with a mean difference (MD) of -7.80 (-16.36 to 0.76) with moderate heterogeneity (p = 0.11, I2 = 47 %) when considering only RCTs. The risk ratio of Demodex eradication was 1.41 (1.18 to 1.69, I2 = 0 %, p = 0.72) and was significant in both the IPL with meibomian gland expression (MGX) subgroup (1.49, 1.17-1.91) and IPL alone subgroup (1.32, 1.02-1.72). No major adverse events were reported.
Conclusion:
IPL, either alone or in combination with MGX, demonstrates a trend toward reducing Demodex infestation with no major adverse events reported. However, its effect on mite count reduction has not reached statistical significance. Further studies are needed to establish an optimal IPL treatment protocol.
