A study of meibomian gland and tear film changes in patients with pterygium in a tertiary care centre

To find out the correlation of Meibomian gland and Tear film dysfunction with pterygium. Institution based prospective cross sectional study. 70 (seventy) patients with unilateral primary progressive nasal Pterygium and 70 healthy adults without any ocular pathology were selected as comparison group from the Ophthalmology outpatient department of Calcutta National Medical College and hospital, Kolkata for a duration of 6 months from January 2020 to June 2020. Meibomian gland dysfunction was measured by meibomian gland expression score and lid margin abnormality score. Tear film changes were measured by Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) Score , Tear break up time (TBUT), Tear meniscus height(TMH), Schirmer’s test 1 (ST1) and Corneal flourescein staining in both pterygium and control group and comparisons were done to find out the significance in differences. The Categorical variables were analyzed with the help of Pearson Chi square test, Spearman rho Correlation, Man Whitney U Test and the continuous variables were analyzed with the help of Independent T test and Pearson Correlation coefficient. The level of significance was considered as 95% of confidence interval i.e. P value <0.05. OSDI score, TBUT, meibomian gland expression score, lid margin abnormality score and corneal fluoresce in staining were significantly higher in pterygium group than others (p<0.05) whereas TMH values although showed differences between the two groups but were not statistically significant. ST1 were normal in pterygium group though had significant difference with control. Meibomian gland function was altered in patient with Pterygium which is also associated with uncomfortable ocular symptoms due to tear film abnormalities.