Background To evaluate the effects of lid debris debridement and meibomian gland expression (MGX) on extracellular matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels and clinical outcomes of moderate and severe MGD. Methods In this retrospective case series study, a total 48 eyes of 24 patients with moderate and severe MGD underwent one session of lid debris debridement using the BlephEx combined with MGX. We evaluated the tear film break-up time (TBUT), corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining scores, Schirmer 1 test, biomicroscopic examination of lid margins and meibomian gland (MG), ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire score, and extracellular MMP-9 levels using a point-of-care MMP-9 immunoassay device before and 4 weeks after lid debris debridement and MGX. Linear mixed model and generalized estimating equations model were used to evaluate possible differences. Results There were significant improvements in the TBUT (P = 0.002), SICCA and Oxford staining scores (all P < 0.001), lid margin telangiectasia (P < 0.001 for upper and lower eyelids), lid thickness (P < 0.001 for upper and lower eyelids), MG orifice plugging (P < 0.001 for upper and lower eyelids), meibum color (P = 0.026 for upper eyelid, P < 0.001 for lower eyelid), meibum consistency (P < 0.001 for upper and lower eyelids), meibum grade (P < 0.001), MGD stage (P < 0.001), and OSDI score (P = 0.002). MMP-9 immunoassay positivity rate significantly decreased from 83.3 to 50.0% 4 weeks after treatment (P = 0.014). Conclusions In patients with moderate to severe MGD, lid debris debridement using the BlephEx combined with MGX improved clinical findings, subjective symptoms, meibomian gland function, along with ocular surface MMP-9 level. We hereby suggest lid debris debridement using BlephEx combined with MGX as an effective clinical strategy for treatment of moderate to severe MGD.

Purpose This study compared the glaucoma diagnostic abilities of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). In addition, the possibility of enhancing diagnostic capability by combining the two modalities was investigated. Methods A total of 131 healthy eyes and 113 glaucomatous eyes were imaged by both OCT and OCTA. In OCT, glaucoma was defined as when the color of the superior or inferior quadrant of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness map was yellow (borderline, <5%) or red (outside normal limits, <1%). In OCTA, glaucoma was determined using the cut-off value of the superior or inferior peripapillary vessel density, calculated after receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Sensitivity and specificity were determined by OCT alone, by OCTA alone, or by OCT and OCTA combined. Results The sensitivity of OCT (86.7%) was better than that of OCTA (74.3%), whereas the specificity of OCTA (87.0%) was better than that of OCT (67.9%). When these two modalities were combined, both sensitivity and specificity were enhanced (90.3% and 92.4%, respectively). Among the 131 eyes, 32 were misdiagnosed as glaucomatous by OCT but accurately diagnosed as normal by OCTA. These eyes were myopic, with a longer axial length and a thinner and temporally displaced peak of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, causing the false positive result in OCT. Conclusions When OCTA was combined with OCT, the specificity of glaucoma diagnoses were enhanced. OCTA may compensate for the shortcomings of OCT in the diagnosis of glaucoma.