The bleb response of the endothelium decreases with extended wear of contact lenses

Abstract

During an eight-day study of the eye's response to hydrogel contact lenses worn continuously, the open eye endothelial bleb response, having rapidly decayed from its overnight peak to a level much nearer baseline, appeared to increase again some six hours after eye opening. Further, the bleb response at eye opening each morning, the 'second phase' response seen some six hours later and the overall bleb response were all observed to decrease as the number of days of lens wear increased such that by about the fifth day the bleb response was almost imperceptible.

Endothelial blebs

“…Using this technique, only the mid-peripheral nasal or temporal endothelium are viewed; this does not pose a problem because changes in these regions are representative of changes elsewhere in the cornea. 9 Although individual endothelial cells can only just be resolved at ×40 magnification, blebs have a stark appearance and are easily recognizable. A variety of sophisticated of cells throughout the field.…”