Ocular surface microvascular response and its relation to contact lens fitting and ocular comfort: an update of recent research

Associations Between Lid Wiper Microvascular Responses, Lens Fit, and Comfort After One Day of Contact Lens Adaptation by Neophytes

PURPOSE

To determine associations between lid wiper microvascular responses, lens fit, and comfort after 1 day of contact lens adaptation by neophytes.

METHODS

Functional slitlamp biomicroscopy was used to image the microvascular network of the upper tarsal conjunctiva, lid wiper, and bulbar conjunctiva. Fractal dimension was obtained to represent vessel density. Ultra-high-resolution optical coherence tomography was used to image the lens edge and fitting characteristics, including lens movement and lens-induced conjunctival indentation. Ocular comfort was rated using a 50-point visual analogue scale (VAS). Forty-nine healthy subjects without a history of contact lens wear were recruited. A contact lens was then fitted in the right eye. Imaging was taken at baseline and 6 hr after lens wear.

RESULTS

The changes of VAS comfort score were negatively related to the changes of the vessel density in the lid-wiper (R 2 =0.18, P =0.002) and bulbar conjunctiva (R 2 =0.13, P =0.009). However, the changes of VAS were positively related to the changes in vessel density of the tarsal conjunctiva (R 2 =0.11, P =0.02). The changes of ocular microvasculature were not related to the objective metrics of the lens-fitting characteristics ( P >0.05). Similarly, the changes in the VAS comfort score were not related to the objective metrics of the lens-fitting characteristics ( P >0.05).

CONCLUSION

Contact lens discomfort seemed to relate to lid wiper microvascular responses rather than fitting characteristics after 1 day of contact lens adaptation by neophytes.