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Review
. 2023 Jan-Mar;16(1):12-19.
doi: 10.1016/j.optom.2022.03.004. Epub 2022 Mar 26.

Topical review of the relationship between contact lens wear and meibomian gland dysfunction

Reut Ifrah  1 , Lluisa Quevedo  2 , Liat Gantz  3
Affiliations
Review

Topical review of the relationship between contact lens wear and meibomian gland dysfunction

Reut Ifrah et al. J Optom. 2023 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Contact lens (CL) wearers often suffer from ocular discomfort, which leads to cessation of CL wear. About 30% to 50% of CL wearers complain of dry eye (DE) symptoms. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is considered the most common cause of evaporative DE. Numerous studies have investigated whether CL wear might affect the meibomian glands. This manuscript reviews studies examining the relationship between CL use and MGD. A PubMed database search was conducted for studies published between 1980-2021 with one or a combination of search terms related to "meibomian gland", "meibomian gland dysfunction", "contact lens", and/or "dry eye". Of the 115 papers reviewed, 22 articles were identified that examined the association between CL and MGD. Fifteen showed that CL wear affects the morphology and function of meibomian glands (MGs), while seven reported no significant impact of CL wear on MGs. This review provides an overview of these studies, emphasizing the diagnostic tests of MGD and conclusions. The review highlights the need for longitudinal prospective large cohort studies with control non- CL wearers to clarify the ambiguous relationship between MGD and CL wear, with special attention to varying CL material and wear times in order to identify the long-term impact of CLs on MG.

Keywords: Contact lens; Dry eye; Meibography; Meibomian Gland dysfunction; Meibomian glands.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts to disclose.

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