Fluorescein angiography of soft contact lens induced vascularization in penetrating keratoplasty.

Soft contact lenses after penetrating keratoplasty have become more popular as improved materials with high water content and high oxygen permeability have become available. However, aphakic patients who have undergone penetrating keratoplasty seem to be at high risk for development of graft vascularization when extended wear soft lenses are used for optical correction. This report, to our knowledge, is the first to use corneal fluorescein angiography to study contact lens induced vascularization. Corneal fluorescein angiography, in two cases, showed that vascularization was often more extensive than clinically apparent. Further, these "new" vessels, in both cases, were shown to be "leaky." This great degree of leak contributed to graft edema in both and possibly, in one case, to graft rejection. These findings suggest that care in fitting and careful follow-up is necessary in any graft patient fit with an extended wear lens and that delicate or problem patients may be better aided with other forms of optical correction. Further, this report shows the value of corneal fluorescein angiography as a useful tool in the study of vascularization of the cornea from any cause.