Observation of corneal epithelial disturbance through soft contact lens using fluorescein dextran.
OBJECTIVE
To confirm the usefulness of fluorescein dextran as a vital dye for observing corneal epithelial disturbance through a medical-use soft contact lens.


METHODS
Ten percent fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) was used as the staining dye. Patients with corneal epithelial disturbance who were wearing therapeutic soft contact lenses were observed using FITC-dextran.


RESULTS
Through the soft contact lens, FITC-dextran enabled corneal disturbance observation similar to that seen with sodium fluorescein. In a case of corneal perforation, as well, positive Seidel's test was confirmed through the soft contact lens using this technique.


CONCLUSIONS
FITC-dextran is considered a useful dye for examining the corneal epithelial condition without contact lens removal.
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
J
J
Sugita
N
N
Yokoi
S
S
Kinoshita
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003911:Dextrans / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
D003911:Dextrans; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; C015219:fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate