Effects of Soft Toric, Rigid Gas-Permeable, and Mini-Scleral Lenses on Corneal Microstructure Using Confocal Microscopy

Objective: To determine effects of wearing soft toric silicone hydrogel, rigid gas-permeable (RGP), and mini-scleral lenses on corneal microstructure using confocal microscopy. Method: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 33 neophyte patients fitted with contact lenses (avg. age: 26±7 years) in the tertiary eye center. Patients were instructed to wear soft toric silicone hydrogel, RGP, or mini-scleral lenses based on clinical diagnoses. Inclusion criteria were age greater than 18 years and best-corrected visual acuity ≥3/10. Patients with a history of eye-involving systemic diseases were excluded. Baseline examinations included log of minimal angle of resolution visual acuity (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart), refraction, slit-lamp, and fundoscopy. Confocal microscopy was used to measure subbasal nerve (SBN) density (mm/mm2), keratocyte cell density (cells/mm2), basal epithelial cell density (cells/mm2), and endothelial cell density (cells/mm2). Data were gathered on the first and follow-up visits. The follow-up visit happened after 6 months when the subjects had stopped wearing contact lenses for 12 hr. Comparative analysis was conducted within each group using the paired t test. Results: The changes in visual acuity, SBN, and keratocyte cell density were insignificant after 6 months of wearing lenses in all three groups. The basal epithelial cell density significantly decreased (P
Source: Eye and Contact Lens: Science and Clinical Practice - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Article Source Type: research