Abstract:AIM:To investigate the differences in clinical features and therapeutic effects of the tea tree oil wipes combined with deep massages of the meibomian glands for different age groups of patients with demodex blepharitis.
METHODS:The clinical data of 146 patients(292 eyes)diagnosed with demodex blepharitis, hospitalized in Department of Ophthalmology, Xijing Hospital from January 2023 to October 2023, was collected in this retrospective study, and the patients were divided into group A(64 cases with 128 eyes)aged ≤45 years old and group B(82 cases with 164 eyes)aged >45 years old according to different ages. The differences in total numbers of binocular mites, Schirmer I tests, symptom and sign scores before, and at 1 and 3 mo after the treatment of the tea tree oil wipes combined with deep massages of the meibomian glands were analyzed between the two groups.
RESULTS: Before the treatments, the total number of the mites in the group A \〖7(6, 8)\〗 was lower than that in the group B \〖8(7, 9.25); P<0.05\〗. The dry eye score in the group A \〖6(6, 7)\〗 was lower than that in the group B \〖11(10, 12); P<0.001\〗, and the ocular surface irritation symptom score in the group A \〖10(9, 11)\〗 was higher than that in the group B \〖6(6, 7); P<0.001\〗. Both groups experienced a decrease in mite counts and improvement in symptoms and signs scores at 1 mo after treatment, and there was still a degree of improvement in all clinical indicators, with patients in the group B showing a further reduction in mite counts \〖-1(-3, 0)\〗 even after the treatment was continued for 3 mo.
CONCLUSION:The total numbers of mites in patients of older than 45 years old were higher than those in patients of ages younger than 45, and older patients have more serious dry eyes, with less serious symptoms of ocular surface irritation. The treatment can effectively reduce the number of mites in patients of different ages with demodex blepharitis, but the outcomes of Schirmer I tests do not change after the treatment. Longer treatment duration provide sustained clinical benefits.
