Portable device offers rapid high-definition meibomian gland imaging
A new compact, portable device for rapid, high-definition meibomian gland imaging (LipiScan, TearScience) is an efficient screening tool for patients with complaints of dry eye and/or candidates for surgical procedures in which pre-existing dry eye could affect outcomes.
Reviewed by Preeya K. Gupta, MD
Morrisville, NC-A recently introduced high-definition imaging device for evaluation of meibomian glands (LipiScan, TearScience) measures lipid layer thickness and evaluates blink dynamics with an efficient, easy to use device for clinical practices, said Preeya K. Gupta, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology, Duke University.
“Despite being smaller and easier to accommodate in a clinic, it still takes very high resolution meibomian gland images,” she said. “I use it as a screening tool in my office to help identify patients who might have meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) or who may have been misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed in the past.”
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She also uses it to screen both refractive surgery and cataract surgery candidates to identify coexisting MGD that can lead to dry eye.
Before the development of imaging devices specifically for evaluation of the meibomian glands, it was difficult to determine if a patient had gland atrophy and other signs of gland dysfunction such as dilation or tortuosity, Dr. Gupta said. “Now you can identify anatomically whether or not there is gland dysfunction or atrophy. As a clinician it has provided a lot of information about the meibomian glands that we really didn’t have access to in the past.”
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It is not only helpful for making a diagnosis but for framing treatment expectations in discussions with patients, she added. For example, if the images showed very severe gland atrophy, she could explain that the treatment goal is to preserve the few remaining glands, and that it could be an uphill battle. But if the patient had relatively minor gland atrophy accompanied by symptomatic dry eye or MGD, she could outline the specific treatment steps likely to produce improvement.