Pseudomonas Keratitis Associated With Daily Wear of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Abstract

Purpose. 

To report two cases of pseudomonas keratitis associated with daily wear of silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Methods. 

Medical records of two patients who developed pseudomonas keratitis while wearing silicone hydrogel lenses on a daily-wear schedule are reviewed and discussed.

Results. 

A 13-year-old girl who wore ACUVUE Advance lenses (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Jacksonville, FL) 12 to 14 hours daily developed a paracentral corneal ulcer in her left eye 4 months after beginning contact lens use. Cultures were positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The ulcer responded to fortified antibiotics and resolved in 10 days. Best-corrected visual acuity after resolution of the ulcer was 20/25⁻¹. A 58-year-old woman with a 30-year history of rigid gas-permeable contact lens wear was refitted with O₂ Optix lenses (CIBA Vision, Duluth, GA). Six months later, she had a 4.9 × 4.0 mm epithelial defect with an underlying stromal infiltrate in the right eye. Cultures were positive for P. aeruginosa. The ulcer responded to fortified antibiotics and resolved in 30 days. Best-corrected visual acuity after resolution of the ulcer was 20/30⁻¹.

Conclusions. 

Increased oxygen permeability associated with silicone hydrogel contact lenses may reduce, but does not eliminate, the risk of pseudomonas keratitis. Studies have yet to quantify the risk of keratitis associated with daily wear of these lens materials. Further study is necessary to identify the risks of complications with daily wear of silicone hydrogel lenses and to determine which factors may contribute to those risks.