The efficacy of oral ivermectin for the treatment of chronic blepharitis in patients tested positive for Demodex spp.

Demodex folliculorum and D brevis are common ectopic parasites that inhabit the pilosebaceous units of the human skin. They are associated with dermatological problems such as acne, rosacea and folliculitis.1 In ophthalmology, they are considered an aetiological factor of chronic blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction and ocular surface inflammation. Pathogenesis is controversial as Demodex can also be found in many asymptomatic patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of the oral use of ivermectin in the treatment of chronic, recalcitrant blepharitis. Patients diagnosed as having chronic symptomatic blepharitis resistant to conventional treatment were included (figure 1A). The participants provided written informed consent, and the study was approved by the institutional review board/ethics committee and followed the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. All patients underwent a thorough ophthalmic examination, including tear break-up time (BUT), symptoms' questionnaire and ocular surface disease index (OSDI), and were tested for the presence …