Tear Film Dynamics of Soft Contact Lens-Induced Dry Eye

Purpose: This study aimed to prospectively assess tear dynamics in soft contact lens-induced dry eye while wearing and after removing the soft contact lenses. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 17 right eyes of soft contact lens users at Wada Eye Clinic (11 men, 6 women; mean age: 36.8 ± 8.3 years; range: 24–57 years). Participants were divided into two groups depending on presence of dry eye symptoms. Video interferometry was used to observe tear dynamics while wearing and after removing soft contact lenses. Interference images focusing on tear spread and interference fringe were compared between groups. Results: This study included 10 symptomatic and 7 asymptomatic eyes. Considering the symptomatic eyes, while wearing soft contact lenses, 8 eyes showed poor tear spread and multicolor interference fringe, i.e., swift flow of multicolor interference waves after a grayish monochromatic band-color after a blink, but 8 and 10 eyes showed good tear spread and a grayish monochromatic interference fringe when soft contact lenses were removed, respectively. As for asymptomatic eyes, 6 eyes exhibited good tear spread and a grayish monochromatic interference fringe while wearing soft contact lenses and after removing soft contact lenses. Conclusions: soft contact lens-induced dry eye was associated with tear dynamics only while wearing soft contact lenses. Observation of tear film dynamics in eyes with soft contact lenses could facilitate the understanding of dry eye-related symptoms.