Acute ptosis secondary to contact lens wear

Ocular ptosis secondary to the wearing of rigid contact lenses has been reported. Generally this ptosis is not of the classical variety, and appears to be an edematous or inflammatory response of the lid to the presence of the lens. We report a case of acute ptosis secondary to rigid lens wear in a patient who had undergone cataract surgery. The patient had been a contact lens wearer before surgery, and developed the relative ptosis postsurgically in the nonoperated eye. The ptosis resolved without any form of intervention other than ceasing to wear the contact lens. We feel that in cases where rigid lens wear is discontinued unilaterally for any reason, and a relative ptosis is noted, it should be given time to resolve before any therapeutic regimen is considered.