To evaluate the efficacy of intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy in improving dry eye disease (DED) symptoms and tear film dynamics, particularly in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
Key Findings:
Both groups showed improvements in NITBUT, meibomian gland expressibility, corneoconjunctival staining, and OSDI scores by week 6.
At week 12, Group A demonstrated superior outcomes in NITBUT, tear meniscus height, and tear-film lipid layer quality compared to Group B.
Only the three-session regimen resulted in a significant increase in lymphotoxin-alpha (LT-α) levels, indicating a potential restoration of immune homeostasis.
Interpretation:
IPL therapy not only alleviates symptoms of DED but also enhances tear film stability and reduces ocular surface inflammation, suggesting a biologically active role in treatment.
Limitations:
The study involved a small sample size of 30 patients.
Subjective symptom scores did not show significant differences at 12 weeks, indicating a potential plateau in perceived benefits.
Conclusion:
IPL should be considered a core strategy in managing evaporative DED rather than a supplementary option, due to its ability to improve both symptoms and objective measures of ocular health.
Carolina L. Mercado, MD, and colleagues presented data from the American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS (Intelligent Research in Sight) Registry linked to pharmacy claims data sourced from the Komodo Health Research Dataset.
