DRY EYE IN CONTACT LENS WEARERS AS A GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM

• Published in: Psychiatria Danubina Vol. 26; no. suppl 3; p. 528
• Main Authors: Pili, Kristijan, Kaštelan, Snježana, Karabatić, Mirela, Kasun, Boris, Čulig, Borna
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Medicinska naklada 23-12-2014
• Subjects: dry eye; Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI); permeable contact lens; rigid gas; soft contact lens; tear film breakup time (TBUT)
• ISSN: 0353-5053; 1849-0867

Background: The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between the self-reported symptoms and objective signs of dry
eye disease in long-term rigid gas-permeable (RGP) or soft contact lens (SCL) wearers.
Subjects and methods: The study included 84 eyes of Caucasian RGP and SCL wearers between the age of 15 and 71 who wore
contact lenses on a continuous daily basis for more than 1 year. Symptoms were assessed according to the Ocular Surface Disease
Index (OSDI). Clinical assessments included corneal fluorescein staining according to the National Eye Institute (NEI) staining grid
and tear film break-up time (TBUT).
Results: There were more female (76.19%) than male (23.81%) persons with a higher proportion of RGP wearers among the
females (88.89% vs. 11.11%). The mean duration of daily lens wear was 7.71±2.72 hours. No RGP wearer in this study had a NEI
corneal staining grid score higher than 2. A weak negative correlation was found between daily lens wear duration and TBUT
(Pearson’s coefficient, r=-0.1467). A strong negative correlation was found between TBUT and OSDI values (r=-0.844).
Conclusion: The results of the study emphasize the importance of early and accurate diagnosis of dry eye disease for successful
long term RGP and SCL contact lens wear. This will hopefully motivate future larger scale investigations on dry eye related
problems in contact lens wearers.