Corneal hydration control in contact lens wearers with diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the acute swelling and recovery response to contact lens-induced corneal hypoxia in diabetic patients who wear contact lenses.


METHODS
A thick, low water content, soft contact lens was fitted under a light patch to one eye of 23 diabetic patients and one eye of 23 nondiabetic control subjects in a single-masked, controlled clinical study. After 2.5 hours an ultrasonic pachymeter was used to measure the induced corneal edema and the rate at which the cornea recovered to baseline thickness.


RESULTS
The induced corneal edema was significantly less for the diabetic patients compared with the nondiabetic control subjects (p = 0.004). The corneas of the diabetic patients were found to recover from the induced edema at a similar rate to the corneas of the nondiabetic control subjects (p = 0.28).


CONCLUSIONS
Diabetes mellitus alters aspects of corneal hydration control.
O'Donnell
Clare
C
Department of Optometry, Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, PO Box 88, Manchester M60 1QD, UK. clare.odonnell@manchester.ac.uk
Efron
Nathan
N
D000328:Adult; D001834:Body Water / Q000502:physiology*; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method