Infectious Complications of Contact Lenses: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The use of contact lenses is very common, they are prescribed for the correction of refractive errors that cannot be treated by glasses such as aphakia, keratoconus and strong anisometropia, or as alternatives to glasses. Contact lenses can cause serious complications that are not always easy for patients to manage [1]. Infectious complications in contact lens wearers are a real diagnostic and therapeutic emergency. These infections can be bacterial, amoebic (due to wearing contact lenses in swimming pools, rinsing lenses with tap water or saliva), fungal (due to wearing therapeutic, cosmetic or aphakic lenses, diabetes, alcoholism, immunosuppression, corticosteroids). Infectious complications require emergency treatment. The first line of treatment consists of removing the contact lens and sending it, along with the lens case and lens care product, to the laboratory along with corneal samples and appropriate medical treatment. Infectious keratitis related to contact lens wear is serious and can permanently affect the visual prognosis. The prevention requires a fitting under medical supervision and an awareness of the patients with potential risks of infection.