The influence of contact lens wear on the corneal response to ultraviolet radiation.
One eye of each of 15 male pigmented rabbits was fitted with a gas-permeable rigid contact lens. Lenses were worn on a daily basis for an initial period of 7 days with the other eye serving as a control. After this initial period the lenses were removed and both eyes were irradiated with UV-B (305 nm +/- 9 full width half maximum) using either 0.03 J cm-2 or 0.12 J cm-2 which were approximately the epithelial and endothelial damage thresholds for this waveband respectively. The responses of the cornea were followed by microscopy and pachometry. Biomicroscopically there was a dramatic difference in response between contact lens wearing and non-wearing eyes for the higher radiant exposure, whereas little difference was observed at the lower level. For both levels of radiant exposure there was a significantly less corneal thickness increase in contact lens wearing eyes after UV-B irradiation. Recovery patterns were similar.
Ahmedbhai
N
N
Optical Radiation Laboratory, School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Cullen
A P
AP
D000818:Animals; D003261:Contact Lenses; D003315:Cornea / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000528:radiation effects; D004848:Epithelium / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*