Short-Term Impact of Scleral Lens Wear on Intraocular Pressure and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness.
Scleral contact lenses temporarily raise eye pressure within hours of wear
Short-Term Impact of Scleral Lens Wear on Intraocular Pressure and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness.
To investigate the short-term impact of scleral lens wear on intraocular pressure (IOP) and retinal nerve fiber layer (retinal nerve fiber layer) thickness.
This prospective, randomized, contralateral-eye crossover study included 31 healthy participants (mean age: 26 ± 3 years).
eye pressure measured while wearing the lens, higher than before
No significant IOP changes were observed in soft contact lens-wearing eyes ( p > 0.05).
Scleral lens wear was also associated with small but statistically significant peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thinning (pre-application: 110 ± 11 µm vs. post-application: 107 ± 11 µm, p < 0.001), which returned to baseline after lens removal.
No significant retinal nerve fiber layer changes were observed with soft contact lens wear ( p > 0.05).
Bland-Altman analysis revealed poor agreement between Diaton and non-contact tonometer measurements, consistent with the published literature on transpalpebral tonometry.
Short-term scleral lens wear was associated with transient IOP elevation and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thinning, both reversible upon lens removal, in healthy young adults.
These findings highlight the need for further longitudinal investigation in at-risk populations such as those with ocular hypertension, keratoconus, or early glaucoma before clinical monitoring recommendations can be established.