Effect of Repeated Topical Povidone-Iodine and Antibiotic Applications on Meibomian Glands and Ocular Surface Parameters in Patients With Repeated Intravitreal Injections

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether meibomian glands and ocular surface parameters are affected by repeated topical povidone-iodine and antibiotic applications in patients with repeated intravitreal injections. METHODS: Forty-five patients with at least three previous intravitreal injections and 28 healthy controls were included in the study. In the injection group, 21 patients had age-related macular degeneration and 24 patients had diabetic macular edema. For each participant, infrared meibography for the upper and lower eyelids and noninvasive tear break-up time calculation were performed with a corneal topographer. Fluorescein tear break-up time and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores were also obtained. Noninvasive tear break-up time, fluorescein tear break-up time, and OSDI scores were recorded for each participant and compared between the injection and control groups. These parameters were also compared as a subgroup analysis between patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). RESULTS: Upper lid meibomian gland loss, lower lid meibomian gland loss ratios, and OSDI scores were significantly higher in the intravitreal injection group compared with the control group (P=0.004, P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). Fluorescein tear break-up time and noninvasive tear break-up time were significantly lower in the intravitreal injection group compared with the control group (P<0.001, P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the AMD and DME groups for these parameters. CONCLUSION: This study showed for the first time that meibomian gland losses were significantly increased by repeated povidone-iodine and antibiotic applications in patients with repeated intravitreal injections. Ocular surface parameters were altered with higher ocular surface symptoms in those patients.