To examine the changes in meibomian glands associated with aging in a normal Korean population and to estimate the differences between the upper and lower eyelid in each age group.

We performed meibography on adult subjects using an infrared charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Each eyelid was scored based on the loss of meibomian glands, and the meiboscores of the upper and lower eyelids were summed to obtain a score for each eye. Meiboscores were evaluated according to age, sex, and upper and lower eyelid meiboscores in each age group.

One hundred seventeen eyes of 117 people were enrolled in this study. The study subjects had an average age of 50.4 ± 19.1 years (range, 20-92; male, 56; female, 61). There was a significant positive correlation between age and total meiboscore, upper and lower eyelid meiboscore (r = 0.578, p < 0.001; r = 0.550, p < 0.001; r = 0.524, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the meiboscores of the upper and lower eyelids in any age group, though meiboscores were significantly higher since 40 year-old group than 20 year-old group ( p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001).

Based on noncontact meibography in normal adult eyes, the authors concluded that prevalence of changes in the meibomian glands was about 60% and changes in meibomian glands increase with age.