Epithelial Thickness Changes from the Induction of Myopia with CRTH RGP Contact Lenses

PURPOSE: To investigate changes in epithelial thickness after overnight wear of CRTH rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses (Paragon Vision Sciences, Mesa, AZ) for the correction of hyperopia. METHODS: Twenty subjects wore a +3.50 D hyperopia-correcting CRTH lens on one eye for a single night in an attempt to induce myopia (first study). The untreated eye served as the control. Corneal and epithelial thickness was measured at nine points across the horizontal meridian by OCT. Measurements were obtained the night before lens wear, immediately after lens removal the next morning, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 hours after removal. Measurements were obtained 28 hours later, to observe recovery. Then, the attempted hyperopic corrections of +1.50 and +3.50 D were evaluated, using CRTH lenses in both eyes of 20 subjects for a single night (second study). RESULTS: All values were compared to baseline unless otherwise stated. In the first study, the treated eye's central and midperipheral epithelial thickness increased by 21.5% +/- 8.6% and 13.3% +/- 7.6%, respectively, after lens removal (P < 0.001). The control eye's central epithelial thickness (CET) increased by 7.1% +/- 6.0% (P < 0.05). In the second study, CET increased by 17.6% +/- 8.5% (P < 0.001) in the +3.50 D-treated eye and by 13.3% +/- 4.8% (P < 0.001) in the +1.50 D-treated eye. Midperipheral epithelial thickening was 5.9% +/- 4.7% (P < 0.05) in the +3.50 D-treated eye and 6.0% +/- 6.3% (P < 0.05) in the +1.50 D-treated eye. CONCLUSIONS: CRTH lenses, designed to correct hyperopia, when worn overnight, caused an increase in CET. The amount of epithelial change seemed to differ with modified lens design.