AIM: To study the effect of tarsal gland massage combined with medication in treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD).

METHODS: Totally 100 patients(189 eyes)with MGD were selected in our hospital from December 2014 to December 2016. The patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group. Patients in the control group were treated with routine drugs, while the patients in the observation group were treated with routine massage. We observed and compared the clinical efficacy of two groups of patients before treatment, 1wk, 1 and 3mo after treatment for the subjective symptoms, tear film break-up time, tear secretion test, ocular surface disease index, corneal staining score of the patients in the 3 groups.

RESULTS: The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.6%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05). Two groups of patients after treatment of subjective symptoms, ocular surface disease index, corneal staining score decreased, tear break-up time, Schirmer test was increased compared with before treatment(P<0.05). The decrease of subjective symptoms, ocular surface disease index, corneal staining score, the increase of tear film break-up time, tear secretion test in the observation group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Massage combined with medication can improve the clinical efficacy of MGD.