A clinical evaluation of corneal endothelial cell density in patients wearing PMMA corneal contact lenses

Abstract

A study was made to evaluate the corneal endothelial cell density in patients wearing PMMA contact lenses.Forty subjects, 20 males and 20 females, aged from 16 to 38 years were included. Twenty of the subjects were non-contact lens wearers (control group). A modified photo-slit lamp was used for photographing and studying the corneal endothelium. Endothelial cell densities were calculated from the Photographs obtained. Measurements of the corneal radius, corneal thickness and intra-ocular pressure were taken and their parameters statistically correlated.A significant negative correlation (Pearson) was found between endothelial cell density and time of wearing contact lenses (P<0.05). However,. further investigation is suggested to determine the true rate of decrease in endothelial cell density with prolonged wearing of contact lenses.A lower mean endothelial cell density was found in the contact lens wearers group compared with the control group. A highly significant positive correlation (P<0.002) between corneal radius and endothelial cell density was found. This correlation was lower for the contact lens wearers group (P< 0.2).A slight gradual decrease in endothelial cell density due to increments in intra-ocular pressure was noted in both control and contact lens wearers group(P< 0.25; and P=0.2 respectively).No correlation was observed between endothelial cell density and corneal thickness.No correlation in cell density was found between males and females.There was no significant difference in intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness and central corneal radius between wearers and non-contact lens wearers,