Contact lens induced conjunctivitis: a model of human ocular inflammation

To demonstrate the usefulness of contact lens induced conjunctivitis as a model of human ocular inflammation and to evaluate the effect of antiallergic eyedrops on this model.

We recruited 40 subjects with contact lens induced conjunctivitis. Half were treated with ketorolac tromethamine (KT), and half with iodoxamide tromethamine (LT). Signs, symptoms, contact lens wearing time, and wearing time until discomfort developed were evaluated at baseline, day 7, and day 14.

The group receiving LT showed improvement of symptoms 7 days after beginning the study (P = 0.016), and both the LT and KT groups showed improvement from baseline on day 14 (P = 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). Signs improved for both the KT group (P = 0.011) and the LT group (P = 0.043) on day 7 and day 14 (P = 0.033 and P = 0.007, respectively). Mean contact lens wearing time improved on day 14 for the group treated with KT (P = 0.001).

Contact lens induced conjunctivitis appears to be a useful model of human ocular inflammation. Both antiallergics KT and LT improve contact lens tolerance in subjects with contact lens induced conjunctivitis. Two weeks of treatment may be required to demonstrate therapeutic benefits of antiallergic drops.