Contact lens wear and follow-up and its association with signs and symptoms of meibomian gland dysfunction.

Introduction: This study investigated the equivocal association between contact lens (CL) wear and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) by comparing the morphological, functional and subjective outcomes of CL wearers versus control, non-CL wearers. CL wearers were examined as two cohorts based on the annual attendance of follow-up visits (FLU-attended these visits, whereas non-FLU did not).

Methods: Habitual logMAR visual acuity, invasive and non-invasive tear break-up time, Schirmer test, Efron grading scales, meibum quality score (MQS), meibum expressibility score (MES), meibomian gland (MG) loss, lid margin abnormalities and subjective dry eye (DE) symptoms were assessed.

Results: Of the 128 participants, 31 were in the FLU cohort, 43 were in the non-FLU cohort and 54 were controls (mean ages: 22.2 ± 3.1, 23.0 ± 4.6 and 22.3 ± 3.5, respectively). Non-FLU CL wearers had more symptoms than controls (3.7 ± 2.4 vs. 2.3 ± 2.1, p < 0.01). Morphologically, FLU (16.9 ± 8.8%, p = 0.02) and non-FLU (18.6 ± 11.3%, p = 0.001) had more MG loss than controls (11.2 ± 6.8%). Functionally, FLU (0.6 ± 0.7, p = 0.01) and non-FLU (0.8 ± 0.9, p = 0.001) had worse MES than controls (0.2 ± 0.5). FLU and non-FLU were both associated with corneal staining (odds ratio [OR] = 3.42, 95% CI: 1.16-10.11, p = 0.03 and OR = 5.23, 95% CI: 1.89-14.48, p = 0.001, respectively) and MG loss (OR = 10.47, 95% CI: 1.14-96.29, p = 0.04 and OR = 16.63, 95% CI: 1.96-140.86, p = 0.01, respectively). Non-FLU CL wear was also associated with abnormal MQS (OR = 12.87, 95% CI: 1.12-148.41, p = 0.04), conjunctival staining (OR = 12.18, 95% CI: 3.66-40.51, p < 0.001) and lid margin telangiectasia (OR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.55-9.21, p = 0.003). MGD was three times more prevalent in CL wearers (12%) than in controls (4%).

Conclusions: Both CL-wearing cohorts demonstrated significantly more MG abnormalities than controls though the difference was not clinically significant. Non-FLU CL wearers had more DE symptoms. Non-FLU CL wear is an independent predictor for more abnormalities than FLU CL wear, emphasising the importance of follow-ups.