Contact lens wear diminishes functional meibomian glands, may spur dry eye

Ophthalmology. 2009;116(3):379-384.

Duration of contact lens wear was associated with partial or complete loss of meibomian glands, according to a study.

"Approximately 30% to 50% of contact lens wearers report dry eye symptoms," the study authors said. "Meibomian gland dysfunction has been recognized as a possible cause of [contact lens] related dry eye."

The authors used four grades or meiboscores to gauge partial or complete loss of the meibomian glands: grade 0 (no loss) to grade 3 (in which gland dropout denoted more than 66% of total area containing the meibomian glands). Main outcome measures included meiboscores, tear film breakup time and Schirmer tear production values.

The study included 121 contact lens wearers with a mean age of 31.8 years and 137 non-lens wearing controls with a mean age of 31.4 years.

Contact lens wearers had a mean meiboscore of 1.72; controls had a mean score of 0.96. The difference was statistically significant (P < .0001). Lens wearers' average meiboscore was similar to that of 60- to 69-year-old subjects in the control group. Data also showed a strong association between duration of contact lens wear and meiboscore, the authors said.