Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Correlates to the Tear Film Instability and Ocular Discomfort in Patients with Pterygium

Pterygium is a very common disease in an eye clinic characterized by a benign proliferation of local conjunctiva that often crosses the limber of cornea and extends into corneal surface. Variety of studies has showed that pterygium is able to result in ocular discomfort and the change of ocular surface environment, such as dry eye. However, the link between abnormal tear film function and pterygium is controversial. Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common cause of dry eye and ocular discomfort but is often neglected, which may be the missing link between dry eye and pterygium. In this study, our data firstly revealed increased abnormality of meibomian gland structure and function in pterygium patients, representing with increased abnormality of MGD parameters such as meibum expression (P < 0.001) and meibomian gland loss (P < 0.001). Besides, the scores of MGD severity in patients with progressive pterygium were higher than those in patients with resting pterygium. The correlation between MGD parameters and ocular discomfort as well as dry eye indexes is also established. These findings suggest that MGD correlates to the tear film instability and ocular discomfort in patients with pterygium.