Back to Journals » Clinical Ophthalmology » Volume 13


Intraductal meibomian gland probing: background, patient selection, procedure, and perspectives
Authors Maskin SL, Alluri S
Received 16 February 2019
Accepted for publication 26 March 2019
Published 10 July 2019 Volume 2019:13 Pages 1203—1223
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S183174
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 2
Editor who approved publication: Dr Scott Fraser
Video abstract presented by Steven L Maskin
Views: 2284
Steven L Maskin, Sreevardhan Alluri
Dry Eye and Cornea Treatment Center, Tampa, FL, USA
Abstract: Obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction is the most common cause of dry eye. Its conventional treatment has focused on using heat and pressure with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial therapies but has often been a frequent, frustrating experience for patient and physician. New evidence from Meibomian gland intraductal probing suggests fixed intraductal strictures and obstruction correlating to periductal fibrosis first described in 1997. The use of intraductal probing has been reported, by this author and in at least ten independent peer-reviewed academic papers from around the world, to consistently lead to statistically significant improvement in signs and symptoms of gland dysfunction including cases refractory to other extensive treatments. This review will focus on the background of meibomian gland intraductal probing as well as patient selection, procedure, and perspectives.
Keywords: meibomian gland dysfunction, meibomian gland probing, maskin probing, lipiflow,R IPL, dry eye
Erratum for this paper has been published
This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.
By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.