title: What does overnight lens wear do to the corneal epithelium?: is corneal refractive therapy different?
abstract: The corneal epithelium plays a central role in preventing infectious keratitis. It is a layer that functions both as a physical barrier and as an active component of the ocular surface defense system. Contact lens wear is capable of altering the structure and physiology of the corneal epithelium, potentially increasing the risk of infectious keratitis. This brief review summarizes the effects of continuous contact lens wear and corneal refractive therapy on the physiology and structure of the corneal epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Texas Eye Research and Technology Center, College of Optometry, University of Houston, 505 J. Davis Armistead Building, Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA. pladage@optometry.uh.edu
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ladage
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002455:Cell Division; D048429:Cell Size; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D009216:Myopia / Q000628:therapy*