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Published on: May 2, 2020
Quadrant-Specific Changes in Corneal and Tear Fluid Reservoir Thickness for After 2 Hours of Wear
Cherie B Nau1, Samantha Dodda, David O Hodge
1Department of Ophthalmology (C.B.N., M.M.S.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Atwater Eye Care Center (S.D.), School of Optometry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN; and Department of Quantitative Health Sciences (D.O.H.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL.
Objective:
To measure corneal swelling and thickness of the tear fluid reservoir (TFR) after wearing scleral lenses (SLs).
Methods:
Thirty-five participants had 1 eye fitted with each of three SLs (15.0-mm Jupiter, 18.2-mm Jupiter, and 18.0-mm Digiform). Scheimpflug images were obtained before wear, after application, after 2 hr of wear, and after removal. Initial and final TFR thickness and corneal thickness were measured in the central cornea and 3 mm from the center in the superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal quadrants.
Results:
Corneal thickness increased with wear, but no between-lens differences were observed in the superior (P=0.09), inferior (P=0.38), or temporal (P=0.53) quadrants. The greatest change in central and nasal cornea thickness was with the 15.0-mm SL (P<0.001). All areas showed settling, with no between-lens differences. Greater final TFR thickness was noted for the superior and nasal quadrants with the 18.0-mm SL (P<0.001), and less final TFR thickness was noted in the inferior (P<0.001) and temporal (P<0.001) quadrants with the 15.0-mm SL. Corneal thickness was not associated with the final TFR thickness.
Conclusions:
The greatest corneal swelling was observed in the inferior quadrant with the 15.0-mm SL, although this lens had the least TFR thickness inferiorly. TFR thickness alone did not account for observed corneal swelling.
