Observation of Soft Contact Lens-Related Meibomian Gland Abnormalities Before Corneal Refractive Surgery.

Purpose: By observing the dry eye index, meibomian glands (MGs), corneal dendritic cells (DCs) and nerve fiber density (CNFD) in patients who have been wearing soft contact lenses continuously and those who have stopped wearing them before corneal refractive surgery, analyze the characteristics of soft contact lens-related MGs abnormalities.

Methods: Collected patient datas and divided into a control group, a wearing group and a stop wearing group. All patients underwent oculus keratography examination, the wearing and the stop wearing group underwent confocal microscopy examination.

Results: The MGs defect rate and the number of obstructive MGs in the wearing group were significantly higher than those in the stopping group (p < 0.01). The MG scores of the wearing group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.01). The wearing group had an increase in DCs and a decrease in central CNDF compared to the stopping group (p < 0.01). The duration of continual use of contact lenses correlated with the MGs defect rate and the number of obstructive MGs(p < 0.05). The length of time since discontinuation correlated with the number of obstructive MGs, central DCs density, and central CNFD(p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Long term continuous wearing of soft contact lenses leads to MGs abnormalities, and DCs increased in all directions of the cornea, CNFD decreased in the central area of the cornea. There were immune and neurological factors involved in soft contact lens-related MGs abnormalities in middle-aged and young people, and the severity varies among individuals. When stopped wearing soft contact lenses exceed one week, the morphological changes of MGs occured earlier.