Krause's glands Krause's glands Krause's glands are small, mucous accessory lacrimal glands that are found underneath the eyelid where the upper and lower conjuctivae meet. Their ducts unite into a rather long sinus which open into the fornix conjunctiva. There are approximately forty Krause glands in the region of the upper eyelid, and around 6 to 8 in the region of the lower lid. The function of these glands are to produce tears which are secreted onto the surface of the conjuctiva. There are rare instances of tumors associated with Krause's glands. They usually occur as retention cysts in cicatricial conditions of
Meibomian gland eyes and sometimes cause punctate keratopathy. Meibomian gland dysfunction is more often seen in women and is regarded as the main cause of dry eye disease. Factors that contribute to meibomian gland dysfunction can include things such as a person's age and/or hormones or severe infestation of Demodex brevis mite. Treatment can include warm compresses or expression of the gland by a professional. Lifitegrast and Restasis are topical medication commonly used to control the inflammation and improve the oil quality. In some cases topical steroids and topical/oral antibiotics are also prescribed reduce inflammation. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments have also