Title: The International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: Introduction
Abstract: T here are rare occasions in a field of science when signifi- cant advances occur in leaps and bounds, rather than in small, deliberate steps.This moment is imminent in the field of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-and therefore in dry eye disease.The goals of the International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction were twofold: first, to develop a consensus understanding of the meibomian gland in health and disease; second, to disseminate the knowledge broadly to further the field.Over the past several years, although the body of knowledge about dry eye has been expanding, it has become clear that significant detail and direction relative to the impact of the meibomian gland in dry eye have been lacking.The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS; http://www.tearfilm.org),a nonprofit organization, launched the International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (www.tearfilm.org/mgdworkshop/index.html) in conjunction with generous industry sponsors that supported the workshop process through unrestricted grants, allowing volunteers to come together to plan, execute, translate, and present the findings of the workshop at a variety of meetings worldwide. OBJECTIVESInternational workshops, such as the Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS) and this workshop on MGD, provide a consensus overview of the field as a snapshot in time.In addition to an exhaustive international literature-based review of the salient clinical, translational, and basic research, new concepts-often assimilated through the process of refining the reportsare also included here.Thus, this report is the most current, definitive summary of the meibomian gland in health and disease.As such, the objectives defined by the Steering Committee were as follows: Relation of MGD and Dry Eye DiseaseIt is believed that MGD may be the most common cause of evaporative dry eye and may also have some association with