314 Clinical & Refractive Optometry 17:9, 2006 Keratoconus: A Report of a First-Time Rigid Lens Fit

Keratoconus, a non-inflammatory thinning disorder of the cornea, poses challenges to both patients who have to overcome the visual disorders that accompany the disease, as well as practitioners as correction of keratoconus remains one of the greatest fitting challenges in the art of contact lens fitting. This paper presents a first-time fit of a newly diagnosed bilateral keratoconus patient beginning with the initial visit through to the subsequent follow-ups required to establish an appropriate lens design. The presenting patient was male, in his mid-20s, and complained of recent blur and epiphora. Diagnosis of the disease was confirmed by corneal topography, with the ectasia manifesting as a “lazy-8 ” pattern of astigmatism, a sign commonly witnessed in incipient cases of the disease. Treatment of the condition involved design of appropriate rigid gas-permeable lenses for both eyes. Contact lens treatment providing acuities of 20/20+ (6/6+) for both the right and left eye is described