What is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a chronic, diffuse abnormality of the meibomian glands — the oil glands of the eyelids — marked by blockage of their openings and/or changes in the quality and quantity of their secretion. These glands produce meibum, the oily outer layer of the tear film that keeps tears from evaporating. When the glands are obstructed or inflamed, the lipid layer becomes deficient, tears evaporate too quickly, and the ocular surface becomes unstable and inflamed. MGD is the single most common cause of evaporative dry eye disease.
MGD and dry eye are closely linked. See Dry Eye Disease for the broader evaluation and management of the ocular surface, and Blepharitis for the related inflammation of the eyelid margin.
The Meibomian Glands
The meibomian glands are large sebaceous (oil) glands embedded vertically within the tarsal plate of each eyelid — roughly 25–40 in the upper lid and 20–30 in the lower lid. Their openings sit in a single row along the lid margin, just behind the lash line. With every blink, the glands release a thin film of meibum that spreads across the eye to form the outermost lipid layer of the tear film. This oily layer slows evaporation and gives the tear film a smooth optical surface.
- Obstruction: Thickened oil and keratin plug the gland openings, so meibum cannot reach the tear film.
- Gland dropout (atrophy): Chronic obstruction causes the glands to shrink and disappear — visible on meibography and often irreversible, which is why early treatment matters.
Causes & Risk Factors
MGD is usually multifactorial. Common contributors include:
- Aging — gland function declines and dropout increases with age
- Ocular rosacea — strongly associated; lid-margin telangiectasia and inflammation are typical
- Posterior blepharitis — inflammation centered on the gland orifices
- Demodex mite infestation of the lashes and glands
- Reduced or incomplete blinking — prolonged screen and reading time
- Contact-lens wear
- Hormonal changes (androgen deficiency, menopause) and some medications (isotretinoin, antihistamines)
- Systemic conditions — Sjögren’s syndrome, graft-versus-host disease, and other inflammatory disease
Symptoms
MGD often produces the same symptoms as dry eye, frequently worse toward the end of the day or after screen use:
- Dryness, grittiness, or a foreign-body sensation
- Burning, stinging, or eyelid heaviness
- Intermittent blurred vision that clears with blinking
- Redness and crusting or oily debris along the lid margin
- Recurrent styes (hordeola) or chalazia from blocked glands
- Paradoxical watering — reflex tearing triggered by an unstable, evaporating tear film
Diagnosis & Evaluation
Diagnosis is clinical, based on a focused slit-lamp examination of the eyelid margins supported by specialized tests:
- Lid-margin exam — capped or plugged gland orifices, telangiectasia, thickening, and notching
- Gland expression — gentle pressure assesses whether meibum is clear, cloudy, granular, or absent
- Tear break-up time (TBUT) — shortened in evaporative dry eye
- Meibography — infrared imaging that shows gland structure and the degree of dropout
- Adjuncts — tear osmolarity, lipid-layer interferometry, and ocular-surface staining
Treatment
MGD is managed in a stepwise fashion, escalating with severity. Consistency matters more than any single therapy.
Stepwise Management
- Foundation (home care): warm compresses (heat softens the thickened oil), eyelid hygiene/scrubs (e.g., OCuSOFT Lid Scrub), gentle lid massage and expression, omega-3 supplementation, and deliberate complete blinking.
- Lipid-based artificial tears: Supplemental lubricating drops that reinforce the deficient oil layer and ease evaporative dryness between treatments (e.g., Retaine MGD).
- In-office thermal pulsation: LipiFlow, iLux, TearCare, or the OCuSOFT Thermal 1-Touch apply controlled heat to the inner lid while expressing the glands to clear obstruction.
- Intense pulsed light (IPL): reduces lid-margin inflammation and telangiectasia, especially in rosacea-associated MGD.
- Medical therapy: oral tetracyclines — commonly sub-antimicrobial-dose doxycycline (20 mg twice daily, or 40 mg modified-release) for its anti-inflammatory, meibum-altering effect while limiting antibiotic-resistance risk (a conventional 50–100 mg daily course is an alternative) — or azithromycin, topical azithromycin, short courses of topical steroid for flares, and treatment of Demodex (tea-tree / terpinen-4-ol) and underlying rosacea.
- Adjuncts: punctal plugs when an aqueous-deficient component coexists, and intraductal probing in selected obstructive cases.
MGD and Blepharitis
MGD and blepharitis overlap and frequently coexist. Posterior blepharitis is inflammation centered on the meibomian gland openings and is essentially the inflammatory face of MGD. Anterior blepharitis affects the base of the lashes and is usually staphylococcal or Demodex-related. Many patients have both, and lasting relief depends on treating each component — which is why eyelid hygiene is the common foundation of therapy.
For the full guide to lid-margin inflammation — anterior, posterior, and Demodex types — see Blepharitis.
When to See an Oculoplastic Surgeon
Most MGD is managed medically, but an oculoplastic surgeon is valuable when the eyelids themselves are part of the problem:
- Recurrent styes or chalazia that need drainage or that signal poorly controlled MGD
- Eyelid malposition (ectropion, entropion) or incomplete closure (lagophthalmos) worsening evaporation
- Refractory symptoms despite consistent home care — candidates for in-office thermal pulsation, IPL, or probing
- Coexisting structural or post-surgical ocular-surface disease
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)?
- MGD is a chronic condition in which the meibomian glands of the eyelids — which secrete the oily (lipid) layer of the tear film — become blocked or produce poor-quality oil. Without a healthy lipid layer, tears evaporate too quickly, making MGD the single most common cause of evaporative dry eye.
- What causes MGD?
- Common contributors include aging, ocular rosacea, posterior blepharitis, Demodex mite infestation, contact-lens wear, prolonged screen use (which reduces blink rate and completeness), hormonal changes, and certain medications. Many cases are multifactorial.
- How is MGD treated?
- Treatment is stepwise: warm compresses, lid hygiene, and omega-3 supplements form the foundation; in-office thermal pulsation (LipiFlow, iLux, TearCare) and intense pulsed light (IPL) clear obstructed glands and reduce inflammation; and oral or topical antibiotics (doxycycline, azithromycin) are added for moderate-to-severe or rosacea-associated disease.
- What is the difference between MGD and blepharitis?
- They overlap. Posterior blepharitis is inflammation of the lid margin at the meibomian gland openings and is essentially the inflammatory expression of MGD. Anterior blepharitis affects the lash base (often staphylococcal or Demodex). Many patients have both, and treatment addresses each component.
- Can MGD be cured?
- MGD is usually chronic and managed rather than cured. With consistent lid hygiene and the right combination of in-office and medical therapy, most patients achieve substantial, durable relief. Stopping maintenance care often allows symptoms to return.
Your Surgeon
Thomas C. Spoor, MD, FACS
Michigan Neuro-Ophthalmology & Oculoplastics
🏅 ASOPRS Fellowship Trained