Calcification of soft contact lenses in patient with dry eye and elevated calcium concentration in tears

Following radiotherapy for an extensive intraepithelial carcinoma of the conjunctiva and eyelid, a patient developed opacification of soft contact lenses used on the same side. Calcilm was demonstrated within the contact lenses by cytochemical methods and by energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis. The phenomenon was associated with unilateral tear insufficiency and an elevated tear calcium level as determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.