Back to Journals » Clinical Ophthalmology » Volume 7

Topical rebamipide improves lid wiper epitheliopathy

Authors Itakura H, Kashima T, Itakura M, Akiyama H, Kishi S

Received 14 September 2013

Accepted for publication 5 October 2013

Published 31 October 2013 Volume 2013:7 Pages 2137—2141

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S54511

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 6



Hirotaka Itakura,1,2 Tomoyuki Kashima,2 Mariko Itakura,1 Hideo Akiyama,2 Shoji Kishi2

1Department of Ophthalmology, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Gunma University, School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan

Abstract: Administration of topical rebamipide increases the mucin level of tear film and improves the ocular surface in short break-up time type of dry eye. Lid wiper epitheliopathy (LWE) is a disorder of the marginal conjunctiva of the upper eyelid with dry eye symptoms. LWE may be related to mechanical forces during blinking resulting in inflammation of the ocular surface. Rebamipide also has various anti-inflammatory effects. In this report, we tried treatment with topical rebamipide for two cases of LWE. One case had been treated with sodium hyaluronate ophthalmic solution and diquafosol sodium eye drops by other doctors for several weeks. The other case was not previously treated. In both cases, fluorescein staining of the cornea and lid margin was remarkably improved, ocular symptoms decreased, and tear film break-up times increased with rebamipide eye drops four times daily for 2–3 weeks. Topical rebamipide was effective for corneal and conjunctival disorders in LWE. This drug may provide a novel approach to the treatment of LWE.

Keywords: corneal erosion, dry eye, lid wiper, Mucosta®, mucin, rebamipide

Creative Commons License © 2013 The Author(s). 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.