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Does corneal structure remain stable after 10 years of contact lenses?
Researchers found comparable corneal thickness and most endothelial measures in those who began wearing daily disposable hydrogel lenses during childhood, although localized cell size differences emerged.
Compare corneal structure and endothelial characteristics in young adults with more than 10 years of childhood daily disposable hydrogel contact lens wear and age-matched nonwearers.
Approach:
Study design and participants: Cross-sectional study of 42 young adults: daily disposable contact lens wearers and age-matched controls without contact lens history. Wearers used omafilconA lenses for an average of 11 years.
Measurements: Researchers assessed corneal epithelial and stromal thickness across the central 6 mm using anterior segment optical coherence tomography, and endothelial cell density, cell-size variation, and hexagonality using specular microscopy.
Key Findings:
Epithelial and stromal thickness did not differ significantly between groups in the measured regions.
Endothelial cell density and hexagonality were comparable between groups.
Endothelial cell-size variation was significantly greater in wearers in the superior and superonasal regions, by 3.7 and 3.5 percentage points; other assessed regions showed no significant differences.
No ocular adverse events were reported among contact lens wearers during the preceding 10 years.
Interpretation:
The authors suggested that the localized increase in endothelial cell-size variation could relate to reduced oxygen transmission or mechanical stress beneath the upper eyelid. They proposed lens properties as possible explanations for the lack of widespread differences, but these mechanisms were not directly evaluated.
Limitations:
Cross-sectional design did not allow longitudinal assessment of corneal changes.
Small sample size may have limited detection of subtle differences.
Thickness measurements were limited to the central 6 mm.
All wearers used the same lens material and replacement schedule, limiting generalizability; groups also differed in refractive error.
Conclusion:
The authors described the findings as further reassurance about daily disposable hydrogel soft contact lenses for children over a typical myopia-control treatment period.
