Histopathology of blepharoptosis induced by prolonged hard contact lens wear.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify histopathologically the structural features of blepharoptosis in prolonged hard contact lens wearers.


METHODS
Retrospective case-control study.


METHODS
Biopsy specimens from identical sites at the levator aponeurosis and Mueller muscle from 15 long-term hard contact lens wearers were examined histopathologically (group 1). They comprised two men and 13 women with bilateral blepharoptosis ranging in age from 26 to 59 years (mean +/- SD, 44.4 +/- 10.70 years). The average length of hard contact lens wear was 25.4 years (range 12 to 40 years), and the average spherical equivalent refractive error was -9.100 diopters (range -2.825 to -20.375 diopters). We also examined specimens from 15 patients with involutional blepharoptosis who underwent levator resection; they comprised three men and 12 women ranging in age from 64 to 79 years (mean +/- SD, 72.3 +/- 4.38 years).


RESULTS
All patients in group 1 manifested fibrosis and negligible fatty degeneration in Mueller muscle. In group 2, we detected mild fibrosis in Mueller muscle and fatty degeneration of the aponeurosis and Mueller muscle.


CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged hard contact lens wear induces fibrosis in Mueller muscle and may result in contact lens-induced blepharoptosis.
Watanabe
Akihide
A
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan. awatanab@ophth.kpu-m.ac.jp
Araki
Biji
B
Noso
Kenji
K
Kakizaki
Hirohiko
H
Kinoshita
Shigeru
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies