An Unlikely Culprit for Red Eye and Elevated Intraocular Pressure: 23 Retained Daily Disposable Soft Contact Lenses

Abstract

A 64-year-old woman was referred for pain, hand movements vision, and tonometry of 54 mmHg in the left eye. History included possible limbal stem cell deficiency, herpetic encephalitis, and cognitive impairment. She wore daily disposable soft contact lenses for years. Examination showed hyperemia, corneal clouding, and surprisingly, numerous stacked contacts (Fig A). Twenty-three contact lenses were removed (Fig B). Presumed infectious keratitis (Figs C and D) resolved with topical antibiotics. Testing showed absent corneal sensitivity and tonometry of 18 mmHg.