MGD responds similarly to doxycycline, azithromycin

HONOLULU — No significant difference in treatment response was seen in patients given doxycycline or azithromycin to improve signs and symptoms of meibomian gland dysfunction, according to a poster presented here.

Vannarut Satitpitakul, MD, and colleagues conducted a prospective study to evaluate the associations between age, meibum secretion quality score and treatment response in patients with MGD.

In the study presented in a poster at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, 155 patients with grade 3 or 4 MGD were randomly treated with either oral doxycycline 200 mg daily for 4 weeks or topical azithromycin (Spectrum Thea Phamaceuticals) twice a day for 2 days and then once daily for a total of 4 weeks. Secretion quality was graded as clear, cloudy, cloudy with debris, solid paste or no expression. Response to treatment was considered to be a decrease in meibum secretion quality score. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of patients who responded to treatment with doxycycline (52 of 76) or azithromycin (50 of 79). Meibum secretion quality score before treatment was statistically significantly associated with patient age (P = .02), although no significant difference was seen in either age or response to treatment after treatment.

“The association between age, disease severity and treatment response in patients with MGD is still unknown,” the authors wrote. – by Patricia Nale, ELS

Reference: Satitpitakul V., et al. Associations between age, meibum quality and treatment response in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction. Presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting; April 28-May 3, 2018; Honolulu.

Disclosure: Satitpitakul reports no relevant financial disclosures.