Case report assisted and written by Paneet Khaira from the Southern California College of Optometry. Presumed graduation date of May 2026.
A 40-year-old female presented to our clinic for a medical consultation for a first-time scleral lens fitting. The patient had a history of congenital HSV keratitis OS, PKP OS 2008 with rejection, a dense stromal scar, and corneal neovascularization 360. The patient denied HSV involvement OD but had a history of SPK of the central cornea OD which was affecting vision and comfort. Entrance visual acuities were 20/100 OD and HM OS.
The patient was fit with a custom scleral lens in the right eye, achieving a BCVA of 20/25 OD, as well as noting significant improvement in dryness. The patient was so pleased with the healing effects of the scleral lens on her right eye, that she then proceeded to consent to a scleral lens fitting for left eye as well. Although her left eye was non-seeing, she wanted the therapeutic advantage of the scleral lens.
This case highlights the therapeutic benefits of scleral contact lenses which can heal longstanding dry eye complications. This can greatly improve a patient’s vision and in turn their quality of life. Although our patient did not receive visual improvement in her left eye, her increased comfort drastically improved her quality of life, demonstrating scleral lens advantages beyond solely refractive correction.
