title: [Keratoconus special soft contact lens fitting].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the fitting and use of a soft contact lens in keratoconic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study on 80 eyes of 66 patients, fitted with a special soft contact lens for keratoconus, at the Contact Lens Section of UNIFESP and private clinics. Keratoconus was classified according to degrees of disease severity by keratometric pattern. Age, gender, diagnosis, keratometry, visual acuity, spherical equivalent (SE), base curve and clinical indication were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 66 patients (80 eyes) with keratoconus the mean age was 29 years, 51.5% were men and 48.5% women. According to the groups: 15.0% were incipient, 53.7% moderate, 26.3% advanced and 5.0% were severe. The majority of the eyes of patients using contact lenses (91.25%) achieved visual acuity better than 20/40. To 88 eyes 58% were tihed with lens with spherical power (mean -5.45 diopters) and 41% with spherocylinder power (from -0.5 to -5.00 cylindrical diopters). The most frequent base curve was 7.6 in 61% of the eyes. The main reasons for this special lens fitting were due to reduced tolerance and poor fitting pattern achieved with other lenses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The special soft contact lens is useful in fitting difficult keratoconic patients by offering comfort and improving visual rehabilitation that may allow more patients to postpone the need for corneal transplant.
authors.affiliation: Setor de Lente de Contato e Refração, Departamento de Oftalmologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. ester.yamazaki@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ester Sakae
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Vanessa Cristina Batista
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Vagner
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Morimitsu
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobrinho
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lipener
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity