Cosmetic Soft Contact Lens Associated Ulcerative Keratitis in Southern Saudi Arabia

PURPOSE: To review the microbiologic profile, clinical course, treatment, and outcome of patients with cosmetic contact lens (CL)-associated ulcerative keratitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational noncomparative case series selected from an ongoing prospective series. Forty-six subjects examined at a corneal specialty practice in Abha, southern Saudi Arabia between April 2012 and June 2013, who presented with corneal stromal infiltrate on slit-lamp examination, were included in the study. RESULTS: All patients were emmetropic, and lenses were worn solely for cosmetic purposes. Nine (19.5%) of 46 CL-wearing patients presented with laboratory-proven infectious keratitis. Pseudomonas was the most common organism (6/9; 66.6%). Staphylococcus species were the second most common, occurring in two (22.2%) of the nine cases. Streptococcus viridans in one case (11%). Laboratory-based medical therapy led to the healing of ulcers in all cases. Thirty-seven (80.4%) patients had sterile infiltrates. CONCLUSIONS: Over-the-counter use of cosmetic lenses is rapidly increasing. The easy availability of these lenses is resulting in severe sight-threatening complications in some young emmetropic individuals. Prompt treatment of microbial keratitis is important to prevent vision loss.