Scleral Contact Lens Benefits for Myopic Patients With Regular Corneas: A Prospective Randomized Study

To evaluate the impact of scleral contact lens (SL) wear on the visual quality and the ocular surface wettability in myopic patients with regular corneas.

This prospective, randomized, controlled study enrolled a total of 80 myopes with regular corneas. Subjects were randomly allocated to wear SL or rigid corneal lens (RCL) for 3 months. The objective optical quality parameters were detected using the Optical Quality Analysis System-II, and the ocular surface wettability was assessed using the Keratograph 5M noninvasive ocular surface analyzer. The National Eye Institute 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire and Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire were performed.

Both SL and RCL wear could obtain good best-corrected visual acuity. Strehl ratio, modulation transfer function cutoff frequency, objective scattering index, and Optical Quality Analysis System values (Optical Quality Analysis System values at 100%, 20%, and 9% contrasts) in the SL group significantly improved from baseline to the third month (both P <0.05), but not in the RCL group. At the third month, tear meniscus height and noninvasive tear break-up time showed a significant increase in the SL wearers from baseline (both P <0.05), but exhibited no significant changes in the RCL group. At the third month, SL wearers had significantly higher noninvasive tear break-up time compared with RCL wearers ( P <0.05). Besides, after 3-month SL wear, the National Eye Institute 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire score and the Ocular Surface Disease Index score both remarkably improved from baseline (both P <0.05).

Short-term SL wear could provide satisfactory visual quality, ocular comfort, and stable tear film for myopic patients.