Case Presentation: 42-year-old Asian Male with Dry Eye/MGD

Case presentation (Dry Eye Journey at Beverly Hills Optometry July 2023-September 2023):

42-year-old Asian male presented to our office for a dry eye consult. Prior to visiting our office, he mentioned that he followed this regimen: fish oil supplements, preservative-free eye drops, warm compresses, and lid hygiene.

Despite his home routine, his initial dry eye score was abnormal at 17 out of 28. Relevant history included LASIK both eyes (2012) & history of eyelid infections (hordeolum/styes). After a full dry eye workup, we identified & diagnosed Blepharitis, Obstructive MGD, & Ocular Rosacea.

Oculus K5M baseline results: Meibography (infrared imaging of the oil glands) revealed mild to moderate gland structural changes to both lower eyelids, conjunctival redness was moderate in both eyes, Non-Invasive Tear BreakUp Time was moderately reduced in both eyes, and tear meniscus height (aqueous) seemed normal for both eyes.

In-office treatments prescribed were OptiLight IPL, Thermal Pulsation (Lipiflow vs iLux), & BlephEx. Patient initiated sameday consult and combination therapy of OptiLight + BlephEx + manual expression. 

When he returned for his 2nd session of OptiLight + manual expression (seen in top photo), he reported feeling 75% improvement as well as a significant improvement in his dry eye score to 4 out of 28. All this, despite his meibomian glands still being inspissated. We re-emphasized the importance of clearing out the unhealthy meibum so at his 3rd OptiLight visit, we performed both IPL and iLux. During his fourth and final OptiLight + manual expression visit, he reported feeling better than ever and we recorded his meibomian gland expression (seen in the bottom photo), which was significantly healthier.

The patient will return in 1-3 months for maintenance OptiLight IPL and future consideration of Meibomian Gland Probing. 

To learn more about the treatments offered at Beverly Hills Optometry: Advanced Dry Eye Center, click this link.