STANDARDIZED RIGID CONTACT-LENS FITTING PROTOCOL FOR KERATOCONUS

Keratoconus is typically managed by a variety of rigid contact lens fi tting techniques and lens designs. The two most fundamental fitting te chniques are apical corneal touch (including divided or three-point to uch) and apical clearance. In the course of designing a multi-center s tudy of keratoconus patients, a standardized keratoconus fitting proto col was developed. All contact lens parameter options are uniform exce pt for base curve and secondary curve radii, which are determined by i nterpretation of fluorescein patterns using the CLEK Study trial lens set and protocol. The initial trial lens's base curve is the average k eratometric reading; sequentially steeper lenses are applied until def inite apical clearance is observed. We have evaluated the feasibility of this standardized fitting protocol on 30 keratoconus patients, Our results suggest that we have developed a standardized contact lens fit ting set and fitting protocol to simplify contact lens management in p atients with mild to moderate keratoconus.