title: Pancorneal contact lens with a toric edge: a new concept in keratoconus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether fitting a patient with keratoconus to a pancorneal toric rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lens leads to a change in corneal compression and improves the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and keratometry values.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty eyes with keratoconus were fitted with a newly designed pancorneal toric RGP contact lens. Each patient was examined at the time of enrollment and after having used the new contact lens for at least 2 months. Corneal topography was performed both times.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A change in corneal compression was noticed in 23 eyes (77%). Following the use of the pancorneal toric RGP contact lens, the average BCVA improved significantly (p=0.007), with a mean BCVA of 0.63 (SD 0.15) before and 0.70 (SD 0.18) after using the toric contact lens. No significant changes were seen in the mean vertical and horizontal K-values or the mean E-values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While no significant measurable differences in K- and E-values were observed, fitting of a pancorneal toric RGP contact lens in keratoconus led to a marked improvement in visual acuity and a visible change in corneal compression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sizar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamar
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vervaet
authors.forename: Gregorius P M
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.forename: Martine J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jager
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003261:Contact Lenses; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology