Contact lens wear may contribute to conjunctivochalasis

Am J Ophthalmol. 2009;148(1):20-25.

Progressing age is a known risk factor for conjunctivochalasis, but contact lens wear may increase the odds of developing redundant conjunctival folds.

In a study of 600 contact lens wearers and 579 subjects who did not wear contact lenses, conjunctivochalasis was graded more severe by investigators among subjects who wore lenses. In sub-analysis, subjects who used hard contact lenses had a greater mean severity than those who used soft contact lenses.

For the study, the investigators used a previously described grading scale that accounts for the size and number of folds on the conjunctiva in three separate areas: nasal, temporal and middle. The study also measured resulting subject downward gaze adjustment or if the condition was relieved by digital pressure.

Prevalence of conjunctivochalasis was higher in contact lens wearers in all age group. Prevalence also increased with age in all age groups, irrespective of contact lens use: 46.8% of subjects in the contact lens group vs. 17% in the non-contact lens group between 11 and 20 years of age were diagnosed with conjunctivochalasis, and 100% of subjects 51 to 60 years of age in the contact lens group compared with 88.8% in the non-contact lens group were diagnosed with conjunctivochalasis.

"We found that the prevalence and severity of conjunctivochalasis were dependent on both age and the duration of [contact lens] wear," the study authors said. "The grade of conjunctivochalasis was highest in [hard contact lens] wearers, followed by [soft contact lens] wearers and then nonwearers. Our results clearly demonstrated that conjunctivochalasis is involved in [contact lens]-related complications."