J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2023 Apr;64(4):350-354. 10.3341/jkos.2023.64.4.350.

A Case of Contact Lens Induced Acute Red Eye

• Lee JY
• Kim Hk
• Jo YJ
• Lee JS

• KMID: 2542170
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2023.64.4.350

Abstract

Purpose
To report a rare case of acute red eye in a contact lens user.
Case summary
An 18-year-old female presented with decreased visual acuity and ocular pain in the right eye for 4 days. The patient had used contact lenses for > 8 hours a day, even while sleeping at night, for the past 3 months. Corneal epithelial edema and punctate stromal infiltration along with diffuse conjunctival hyperemia and corneal limbal injection in the right eye were observed in slit lamp examination. The uncorrected and corrected visual acuities of the right eye were 0.02 (20/1000) and 0.16 (20/125), respectively. The right eye had an intraocular pressure of 10 mmHg, and the left eye was within normal range. The patient stopped wearing contact lenses and was prescribed steroid and antibiotic eye drops and artificial tears. The corrected visual acuity increased to 0.5 (20/40) on the first day of treatment and to 1.0 (20/20) after 2 months. The cornea and conjunctiva also returned to the normal appearance.
Conclusions
It is important to differentiate contact lens-induced acute red eye from microbial keratitis. Discontinuation of contact lens use and education are required to prevent acute red eye caused by contact lens use.

Keyword

Acute red eye, Contact lens, Corneal opacity, Keratitis