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PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) improvement in evaporative dry eye patients after treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy compared to punctal plug insertion. METHODS: A prospective comparative interventional study included 30 patients with moderate-to-severe evaporative dry eye. Patients' QOL affection before and after treatment was assessed by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. Fifteen patients were treated with IPL therapy (Group 1). The other 15 patients were treated with silicone punctal plug insertion (Group 2). RESULTS: Improvement of patients' QOL was noticed in all patients of Group 1, with significant improvement of OSDI score from a mean value of 56.9 to 22.9 (P = 0.001). Improvement was noticed in 80% of Group 2 patients (mean OSDI score pretreatment: 53.8 and posttreatment: 31.7, P = 0.017). The tear breakup time (TBUT) in Group 1 significantly improved from a mean of 3.2 s to 5.9 s (P = 0.001), whereas it showed no significant changes in Group 2 (mean TBUT pretreatment: 3.6 s and posttreatment: 3.9 s, P = 0.654). Complications occurred in 13.3% in Group 2, including punctal granuloma and proximal canalicular obstruction. No adverse effects were recorded in Group 1. CONCLUSION: IPL therapy had better results with more improvement of patients' QOL compared to punctal plugs. It also showed a better safety profile with no reported complications.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) improvement in evaporative dry eye patients after treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy compared to punctal plug insertion. METHODS: A prospective comparative interventional study included 30 patients with moderate-to-severe evaporative dry eye. Patients' QOL affection before and after treatment was assessed by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. Fifteen patients were treated with IPL therapy (Group 1). The other 15 patients were treated with silicone punctal plug insertion (Group 2). RESULTS: Improvement of patients' QOL was noticed in all patients of Group 1, with significant improvement of OSDI score from a mean value of 56.9 to 22.9 (P = 0.001). Improvement was noticed in 80% of Group 2 patients (mean OSDI score pretreatment: 53.8 and posttreatment: 31.7, P = 0.017). The tear breakup time (TBUT) in Group 1 significantly improved from a mean of 3.2 s to 5.9 s (P = 0.001), whereas it showed no significant changes in Group 2 (mean TBUT pretreatment: 3.6 s and posttreatment: 3.9 s, P = 0.654). Complications occurred in 13.3% in Group 2, including punctal granuloma and proximal canalicular obstruction. No adverse effects were recorded in Group 1. CONCLUSION: IPL therapy had better results with more improvement of patients' QOL compared to punctal plugs. It also showed a better safety profile with no reported complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the efficacies of punctal plug insertion and Botulinum toxin injection in dry eye disease not responding to topical medications. Materials and Methods: A non-controlled randomized clinical trial of two parallel groups of 60 dry eye patients seen in the clinic not responding to topical medications were divided into two groups. One group received punctal plugs and the other group received Botulinum toxin injections to prevent lacrimal tear drainage. Results: Of a total of 36 patients with a mean age of 44.5 years who received punctal plugs, 50% of them experienced improvements in the clinical manifestations of their disease. 12/36 (33.3%) developed plug extrusion, and 6/36 (16.7%) patients developed conjunctival erosions with irritation that necessitated plug removal within one week of insertion. A total of 24 patients with a mean age of 47.5 years received injections of Botulinum toxin. Of these, 83.3% had improvement in all of the clinical manifestations of dry eye. 4/24 (16.7%) had no improvement in the degrees to which they experienced foreign body sensations, 33.3% reported shampoo entering the eye while showering. All of the patients who received Botulinum toxin injections were satisfied with the results of their treatment, whereas only 72.3% of the patients who received punctal plugs were satisfied with their results. Conclusion: Botulinum neurotoxin A injections can be a very good alternative to punctal plugs in improving the clinical manifestations of dry eye disease They are associated with the development of fewer and milder complications and with higher levels of patient satisfaction.

Purpose: To compare the efficacies of punctal plug insertion and Botulinum toxin injection in dry eye disease not responding to topical medications. Materials and Methods: A non-controlled randomized clinical trial of two parallel groups of 60 dry eye patients seen in the clinic not responding to topical medications were divided into two groups. One group received punctal plugs and the other group received Botulinum toxin injections to prevent lacrimal tear drainage. Results: Of a total of 36 patients with a mean age of 44.5 years who received punctal plugs, 50% of them experienced improvements in the clinical manifestations of their disease. 12/36 (33.3%) developed plug extrusion, and 6/36 (16.7%) patients developed conjunctival erosions with irritation that necessitated plug removal within one week of insertion. A total of 24 patients with a mean age of 47.5 years received injections of Botulinum toxin. Of these, 83.3% had improvement in all of the clinical manifestations of dry eye. 4/24 (16.7%) had no improvement in the degrees to which they experienced foreign body sensations, 33.3% reported shampoo entering the eye while showering. All of the patients who received Botulinum toxin injections were satisfied with the results of their treatment, whereas only 72.3% of the patients who received punctal plugs were satisfied with their results. Conclusion: Botulinum neurotoxin A injections can be a very good alternative to punctal plugs in improving the clinical manifestations of dry eye disease They are associated with the development of fewer and milder complications and with higher levels of patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]