Contact lens correction of patients with Marfan syndrome.

BACKGROUND

Marfan syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder, manifests many problems: high myopia, astigmatism, crystalline lens subluxation, and cataracts. No published studies have described the contact lens corrections that can be used with Marfan syndrome patients. This report describes the variety of contact lens modalities used for a subpopulation of patients with Marfan syndrome.

METHODS

The clinical records of eight patients with Marfan syndrome (16 eyes) from two hospital-based contact lens practices were retrospectively reviewed. Seven different contact lens modalities were used for this subpopulation.

RESULTS

Mean unaided visual acuities were 20/296, while mean best-corrected optimal spectacle refraction visual acuities were 20/33. Contact lenses improved the mean visual acuity to 20/27. Patients wore the contact lenses for an average of 12 hours per day. Complications of contact lens wear occurred in approximately 70% of eyes and included neovascularization, giant papillary conjunctivitis, 3 and 9 o'clock staining, and central superficial punctate staining. Additionally, ocular non-contact lens-related complications occurred in 50% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

A variety of contact lens designs may be used during the care of patients with Marfan syndrome. However, patients may experience an increased rate of complications associated with contact lens wear or unrelated to lens wear, and thus they deserve more intensive follow-up care than non-Marfan syndrome patients.