TRENDS IN CONTACT LENS-ASSOCIATED CORNEAL ULCERS

Charts of 320 patients with corneal ulcers seen on the Cornea Service of Wills Eye Hospital from July 1, 1992, to June 30, 1995, were review ed retrospectively. Of these cases, 96 (30%) were associated with cont act lens use. Ulcers in contact lens users accounted for 36% of cases in the last 6 months of 1992 and all of 1993, 20% of cases in 1993, an d 29% in the first 6 months of 1995. The contact lenses most commonly associated with ulcers were disposable extended-wear lenses. They were used in 33% of contact lens-associated ulcers in 1992 27% in 1993, 39 % in 1994, and 44% in 1995. Pseudomonas was the predominant organism p rior to 1993 (1-4). From 1993 to 1995, however, the number of Pseudomo nas ulcers steadily decreased. Two or three Acanthamoeba infections co ntinue to be treated each year. There has been a significant decrease in the number of contact lens-related ulcers treated at our institutio n compared with previous years (p < 0.01) (3,4).