AIM:To compare the efficacy and safety of LipiFlow pulsation system and traditional Meibomian warm compress treatment for patients with Meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD).

METHODS: Totally 50 patients with MGD were selected, whom were randomly divided into experimental group(25 cases)and control group(25 cases). The experimental group underwent a single treatment with the LipiFlow pulsation system. Subjects of the control group were subjected to a daily 15-minute warm compress treatment, lasting 2wk. Comparative analyses were made during moments before and 4, 8 and 12wk after treatments, according to the evaluation of eight indexes including subjective symptoms, tear film break-up time(TBUT), tear film lipid layer thickness(LLT), Meibomian deletions etc. Those analyses were made using LSD-t test, to analyze the effectiveness evaluation parameters at different time points. Independent samples t-test was employed to compare those statistic results between experimental group and control group.

RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed on Ocular Surface Disease Index(OSDI), the quality of Meibomian secretions and Schirmer test(P<0.05). There were also statistically significant differences on the difference in degree of improvements in OSDI, the Meibomian glands yielding liquid secretion, fluorescein staining score LLT, TBUT between the experimental group and control group(P<0.05). There were no differences on safety parameters between two groups.

CONCLUSION: A single treatment with the LipiFlow pulsation system and warm compress treatment are effective and safe for MGD, while the former is better.