Abstract
Secretions of the eyelid meibomian glands form the outer layer of the ocular tear film. Two conditions are necessary for this lipid material (meibum) to be effective: first, it must be secreted in appropriate amounts, and, second, it must form an effective lipid layer over the hydrophilic aqueous-mucin layer of the tear film. The many functions of this lipid layer have been enumerated by others.1 The focus of this discussion will be the importance of meibum lipid composition and the ramifications of lipid abnormalities, as well as the relationship of ocular microflora to these differences. Thus, signs associated with chronic blepharitis, such as secretion consistency, inflammation, microbial infections, and dry eye syndrome (previously defined more narrowly only as keratoconjunctivitis sicca), will be discussed in terms of the specific lipid composition of meibomian gland secretions.
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McCulley, J.P., Shine, W.E. (1998). Meibomian Secretions in Chronic Blepharitis. In: Sullivan, D.A., Dartt, D.A., Meneray, M.A. (eds) Lacrimal Gland, Tear Film, and Dry Eye Syndromes 2. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 438. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5359-5_45
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5359-5_45
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