Extended use of mini-scleral lenses reduces conjunctival thickness, study shows.

Extended wear of mini-scleral contact lenses results in thinning of the conjunctival and episcleral layers, particularly in the superior and inferior regions, while leaving scleral thickness unaffected, according to a study.

The research involved 17 eyes of patients wearing mini-scleral lenses, 20 eyes of keratoconus patients without lens wear, and 20 eyes from healthy controls.

Superior conjunctival/episcleral thickness (CET) measurements were notably thinner at 1 mm, 2 mm, and 3 mm distances in patients using mini-scleral lenses compared to healthy controls. For the inferior CET, measurements at 2 mm were lower in both the lens-wearing and non-lens-wearing keratoconus groups compared to controls, but at 3 mm, only the lens-wearing group showed reduced thickness. Scleral thickness was similar across all groups.

In addition, the study identified a strong negative correlation between the duration of lens wear and superior CET at 2 mm, and a moderate correlation with CET at 3 mm.

Reference
Bolac R, Beyza Yıldız M, Alpogan O, et al. The effect of extended periods of mini-scleral lens wear on the conjunctival/episcleral and scleral thickness. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2024;102289. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2024.102289. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39217052.