Corneal hydration control in contact lens wearers with diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the acute swelling and recovery response to contact lens-induced corneal hypoxia in diabetic patients who wear contact lenses. METHODS: A thick, low water content, soft contact lens was fitted under a light patch to one eye of 23 diabetic patients and one eye of 23 nondiabetic control subjects in a single-masked, controlled clinical study. After 2.5 hours an ultrasonic pachymeter was used to measure the induced corneal edema and the rate at which the cornea recovered to baseline thickness. RESULTS: The induced corneal edema was significantly less for the diabetic patients compared with the nondiabetic control subjects (p = 0.004). The corneas of the diabetic patients were found to recover from the induced edema at a similar rate to the corneas of the nondiabetic control subjects (p = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus alters aspects of corneal hydration control.