Corneal Vascularization in Aphakic Eyes Following the Use of Contact Lenses

In the numerous reports of complications following the wearing of corneal contact lenses the incidence of corneal vascularization is practically never mentioned. Almost all references to complications are concerned with changes in the corneal epithelium, varying from punctate staining to frank abrasions, rarely complicated by infection. Corneal edema and changes in the corneal curvature are also encountered. Fonda,1in addition to these changes, mentioned the invasion of superficial corneal layers by a growth of new vessels from the limbus to form a pannus—a complication of which he had heard but never observed. Spaeth2reported on his own experience in 414 cases of contact lens wearers, of whom 269 were aphakic. He found that a slight but significant thickening of the cornea occurs, and also a diminution in corneal sensitivity. In only five of these cases were pathological changes of the cornea encountered of a sufficient degree to terminate