J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  1999 Feb;40(2):330-337.

Effect of Aging and Soft Contact Lens Wearing on the Change of Corneal Endothelial Cells

• Doh HJ
• Ju CK

Abstract

To investigate the change of morphometric characteristics of the corneal endothelial cellsby aging or soft contact lens wearing, non-contact specular microscopy has been used in evaluation of corneal endothelium. Control group was composed of 183 eyes of 124 normal volunteers those have not worn soft contact lens. Soft contact lens group (SCL group) was composed of 150 eyes of 94 soft contact lens wearers and subdivided into two groups(third decade, fourth decade). We have analyzed cell density, coefficient of variation, hexagonality and evaluated the changes in each parameters according to aging and SCL wearing period. In control group(20-82yrs), coefficient of variation increased (r=0.72), hexagonality decreased(r=-0.71), and cell density decreased (r=-0.59) according to aging. However, in third and fourth decade of control group and SCL group, these chages were not statistically significant. But the correlation coefficient of variation in fourth decade of SCL group was statistically significant(0-5yr group & 11-15yr group : P=0.0064, 0-5yr group & 16-20yr group : P=0.0022). With these results it would be syggested that a long-term wearing of soft contact lens could influence the degeneration of corneal endothelium and this possibility was increased depending on the aging.

Keyword

Aging; Corneal endothelium; Soft contact lens

MeSH Terms

Aging*
Cell Count
Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic*
Endothelial Cells*
Endothelium, Corneal
Healthy Volunteers
Microscopy