Prevalence of corneal ulcer among contact lens wearers in Nigeria

Abstract

Corneal Ulceration has been described as the most serious complication of contact lens wear worldwide. The incidence of corneal ulceration in contact lens wearers in Nigeria was determined retrospectively. 1759 case notes of patients who had worn contact lenses for at least one year were obtained from eye clinics in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. The incidence of corneal ulcer was 1.36 per 100 wearers over the 5-year period (January 1994 –December 1998), with an annual incidence of 0.27 per 100 wearer. Disposable extended wear soft lenses had the highest incidence of 2.94 per 100 closely followed by rigid gas permeable lenses 2.86 per 100. There were no corneal ulcers among conventional daily wear soft lens users. Males showed more cases of corneal ulceration 1.63% than females 1.24% and the age group of 10-19 years had the highest rate of corneal ulcerations (1.66%). It is therefore important for contact lens practitioners to encourage patients to comply with their lens case regimen or switch to daily wear lenses. Key Words: Contact lenses, Corneal ulcers, Lens type, Age. Global Jnl Medical Sciences Vol.2(2) 2003: 127-130