CORNEAL PSEUDO-DYSTROPHY INDUCED BY LONG- TERM CONTACT-LENS

The authors report the cases of two patients suffering of a rare long- term complication of contact lens wearing. Both patients wore daily so ft contact lens for 5 and 8 years respectively. They presented with bi lateral central predescemetic avascular haze associated with mild corn eal stromal edema, descemetic folds in one patient and polymegethism o n endothelial specular microscopic examination. The vision impairment was severe, unilateral in one patient and bilateral in the other. More than one year after removal of the contact lenses, only one patient f ully recovered her initial visual acuity. The mechanisms of the onset of this corneal pseudo-dystrophy are discussed. Hypoxia and acidosis o f the cornea induced by the contact lens are most probably responsible for this complication through endothelial metabolic dysfunction.