Mansour, E., Elgharieb, M., Moawad, E. (2023). Effect of Long-Term Soft Contact Lens Wearing on Corneal Endothelial Cells and Central Corneal Thickness. Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 26(9), 21-28. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2023.323930
Esraa Mansour; Mervat E. Elgharieb; Ehab M. Moawad. "Effect of Long-Term Soft Contact Lens Wearing on Corneal Endothelial Cells and Central Corneal Thickness". Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 26, 9, 2023, 21-28. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2023.323930
Mansour, E., Elgharieb, M., Moawad, E. (2023). 'Effect of Long-Term Soft Contact Lens Wearing on Corneal Endothelial Cells and Central Corneal Thickness', Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 26(9), pp. 21-28. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2023.323930
Mansour, E., Elgharieb, M., Moawad, E. Effect of Long-Term Soft Contact Lens Wearing on Corneal Endothelial Cells and Central Corneal Thickness. Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 2023; 26(9): 21-28. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2023.323930
Effect of Long-Term Soft Contact Lens Wearing on Corneal Endothelial Cells and Central Corneal Thickness
1Department of Ophthalmology, Port Said Ophthalmology Hospital, Port Said, Egypt.
2Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
Abstract
Background: Long-term use of contact lenses may lead to various changes in the tear layer, conjunctiva, and cornea depending on the oxygen-permeability of lenses. Contact lens-induced- hypoxia and corneal edema caused by acidosis. Aim: to evaluate the effect of long-term, soft contact lens wear on corneal endothelium and corneal thickness aiming at improving the quality of vision in contact lens wearers and keeping their corneas healthy as considered a precious refractive surface of the eye. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional case-control study included 96 eyes (48 right and 48 left eyes) of 48 participants randomly selected with the age group between 18-30 years, 30 female, and 18 male. Participants were divided into two groups (case and control group) each of which included 48 eyes. Results: There is a statistically significant difference between both groups regarding BCVA (p < /em>= 0.001). while, the changes in CCT in contact lens wearers were not statistically significant (p < /em> =0.9) unlike the morphological parameters as CD (P <0.001), CV (p- =0.004), SD (p- =0.001) which shows statistically significant changes. There was no significant difference as regards (CCT), the hexagonal appearance of the cell (HEX%), and average cell area (AVG) between the contact lens wearer and control group. The baseline means of endothelial cell density in group 1 was 2911 ± 244 cells/mm2, while group 2 was 2610 ± 173 cells/mm2. There was a statistically significant difference between the case and control group as regards endothelial cell density (ECD) (p < /em> <0.001). The mean of (CV%) in group 1 was (28 ± 6), while in group 2 was (28 ± 6). There was a statistically significant difference between the contact lens wearer and the control group as regards (CV%) (p < /em> = 0.004). Conclusion: Long-term soft contact lens use (> 1 year) affects cell density (CD) and morphological features (coefficient of variation (CV), pleomorphism, and polymegathism).