Prevalence of idiopathic corneal anomalies in a non contact lens-wearing population.
BACKGROUND
Successful clinic management of contact lens wear requires the differentiation of induced corneal changes from normal variation. Information concerning the type and prevalence of anomalous features occurring in the corneas of non contact lens wearers would assist the clinician to develop an accurate impression of the normal condition.


METHODS
Seventy normal, asymptomatic, consecutively presenting, non contact lens wearers were subjected to an extensive biomicroscopic examination by a single clinician.


RESULTS
Forty-nine percent of the sample were observed to have epithelial microcysts, 21% idiopathic scars, 20% endothelial bedewing, 10% epithelial vacuoles, 4% subepithelial microinfiltrates (SEMIs), and 4% Hudson-Stahli lines. Considerable day to day variation in the numbers of SEMIs was observed within subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate that certain features which are frequently associated with contact lens wear occur idiopathically in the nonwearing eye.
Hickson
S
S
Cornea and Contact Lens Research Unit, School of Optometry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Papas
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology; D003261:Contact Lenses; D003315:Cornea / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein; D005452:Fluoresceins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000473:pathology
D005452:Fluoresceins; D019793:Fluorescein