Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31354233›Full record

ArticleClinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.)2019

Combined low level light therapy and intense pulsed light therapy for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction.

Karl Stonecipher, Thomas G Abell, Bennett Chotiner, Erik Chotiner, Rick Potvin

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
6.0field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Karl StonecipherPhysicians Protocol , Greensboro, NC, USA.
Thomas G AbellAbell Eyes , Lexington, KY, USA.
Bennett ChotinerMemorial Eye Institute , Harrisburg, PA, USA.
Erik ChotinerMemorial Eye Institute , Harrisburg, PA, USA.
Rick PotvinScience in Vision , Akron, NY, USA.
Memorial Hospital · USEye Center · SAUniversity of Akron · USUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo evaluate the effects of combined intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) and low-level light therapy (LLLT) on clinical measures of dry eye related to severe meibomian gland disease (MGD) in subjects unresponsive to previous medical management. PATIENTS AND

methodsThis was a retrospective chart review of patients treated by 4 physicians at 3 centers. All patients were documented treatment failures with traditional pharmaceutical therapy. They all had their MGD evaluated before treatment using a grading scale (0-4), tear breakup time in seconds and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. To be included, all patients had to have had a short course of adjunct pharmaceutical or device-related therapy, along with a combined IPL/LLLT treatment. As well, a second MGD evaluation with the same three measures had to have been conducted 1-3 months post treatment.

resultsA total of 460 eyes of 230 patients were identified for inclusion in the data set. Mean OSDI scores were significantly lower after treatment; 70.4% of patients had pretreatment OSDI scores indicative of dry eye; this dropped to 29.1% of patients after treatment. A 1-step or greater reduction in MGD grading was observed in 70% of eyes, with 28% of eyes having a 2-step or greater reduction. Tear breakup time was ≤6 seconds in 86.7% of eyes pretreatment, dropping to 33.9% of eyes after treatment. There were no ocular or facial adverse events or side effects related to the combined light treatment.

conclusionThe use of combined IPL/LLLT for the treatment of severe MGD appears to be beneficial in patients who have failed topical and/or systemic therapy.

Indexed as

intense pulsed lightIPLLLLTlow level light therapymeibomian gland dysfunctionocular surface disease index

Identifiers

PMID31354233
PMCPMC6573774
OpenAlexW2952089081

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.