Ocular surface analysis: A comparison between the LipiView(R) II and IDRA(R)

Purpose: To compare the lipid layer thickness (LLT), meibomian gland (MG) dropouts, and blinking pattern determined by the analysis of images acquired from the LipiView(R) II (LVII) and the IDRA(R) Ocular surface analyzer. Methods: A cross-sectional single-visit observational study was conducted. The LLT (minimum, maximum, and average), percentages of MG dropouts, and partial blink rates (PBR) were taken from both eyes of 47 participants using LVII and IDRA. Both devices were used to image the inferior eyelid of each participant in a random order. Results: Forty-seven participants (mean age 56.77 +/- 14.47 (21-79) years, 66% female) completed the study. There was no significant difference in LLT between the two devices. A significant difference in percentages of MG dropouts was obtained between the LVII (36.51 +/- 17.53) and the IDRA (45.36 +/- 21.87), p = 0.003). There was also a significant difference in PBR between the LVII (0.51 +/- 0.37) and the IDRA (0.23 +/- 0.27), p < 0.001). Conclusion: No significant difference in LLT was obtained between LVII and IDRA. IDRA had a significantly lesser percentage of MG dropout and a higher PBR compared to LVII. These results indicate that these devices should not be used interchangeably for the evaluation of MG dropouts and PBR.