[Central corneal endothelial changes in contact lens wearers]

Report on the appearance of opacities in the central area of the cornea after long-term wearing of HEMA lenses. These changes are at first small curved spots and can develop into marked reticulate opacities at a late stage. All of the patients were long-term contact lens wearers and all used cleaning solutions containing chlorhexidine. Since early symptoms such as 'red eye' or 'blurred vision' are absent in most of the cases the patients fail to consult their doctors in time. The damage appears to be irreversible and early diagnosis is therefore important.