Although reports of contact lens–induced corneal neovascularization can be traced back as far as 1929 it is only in the past five decades that this problem has attracted the attention of contact lens practitioners at large. A variety of terms…
A limited number of reports have been published in the literature detailing the appearance of deep stromal opacities in the eyes of contact lens wearers. As will be discussed in this chapter, the evidence in some of these reports supporting…
As discussed in Chapter 22 , stromal oedema is a reliable indicator of the level of hypoxic stress induced by contact lens wear. It is an acute response in that the oedema will increase to steady state within a few…
Contact lens–induced corneal oedema was recognised in the first two written accounts of the clinical application of contact lenses published over a century ago. In his original treatise on contact lenses, published in 1888, Adolf Fick noted that the cornea…
Epithelial wrinkling is a severe ocular complication of contact lens wear and is characterised by the appearance of a series of deep parallel grooves in the corneal surface, giving the impression of a ‘wrinkled’ effect ( Fig. 21.1 ). This…
A small number of vacuoles and/or bullae (singular: ‘bulla’) can sometimes be observed in the corneas of contact lens wearers. Although they appear to be clinically innocuous, vacuoles and bullae can be confused with other small epithelial inclusions that have…
The first report of the appearance of corneal epithelial microcysts in association with contact lens wear was published in 1976 by Ruben and co-workers. As will be outlined in this chapter, these authors were correct in surmising that ‘corneal microcysts…
The use of fluorescein in the examination of corneal integrity was introduced by Pflüger in 1882, just 6 years before the first fitting of contact lenses to humans was reported by Fick. However, it is only in the past 50…
Contact lens–induced superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (CLSLK) is a syndrome comprising a combination of tissue pathologies. Tissues affected include the corneal epithelium and stroma, the limbus and the bulbar and tarsal conjunctivae. Although this condition was first fully described in the…
The limbus is prone to pathological changes for a variety of reasons. A rich capillary plexus is embedded in the limbus and these vessels may become engorged (see Chapter 15 ) or may constitute the platform from which vessels may…