[Use of highly hydrated contact lenses for therapeutic purposes]

The paper deals with the therapeutic use of contact lenses made from a new highly hydrated material developed in the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry in Prague. Contact lenses made from a meshed copolymer of n-vinyl pyrrolidone with acetoxyethyl meta-acrylate were applied to a group of 83 patients--a total of 87 eyes. A favourable therapeutic effect was achieved in all groups of patients--in simple traumatic erosions, superficial keratopathies, relapsing erosions, bullous keratopathies, corrosion of cornea, for mechanical protection of epithelization and in persisting ulcerations. In 71 eyes (82%) the contact lens was removed after the therapeutic effect was achieved, in 4 (5%) treatment still proceeds. In the remaining patients treatment was discontinued on account of complications, persistence of the pathological finding and frequent losses of contact lenses. In the group there was no case of complicating keratoconjunctivitis. Progressing vascularization was detected in three cases in the group with persisting ulcerations. The authors did not observe development of corneal vascularization in conjunction with application of the lens. Transient corneal oedema was revealed in the group of relapsing erosions in 6 (40%) patients and in the group of persisting superficial keratopathies in 4 (31%). The rare occurrence of inflammatory complications can be explained by the sterile application of contact lenses for the necessary length of time, the local administration of antibiotics while the defect persisted and frequent check-up examinations. Contact lenses made from the described material proved useful for therapeutic application.