Scleral lens peripheral modifications and regional variations in corneal oedema

Asif Iqbal; Damien Fisher; David Alonso-Caneiro; Michael J Collins; Stephen J Vincent

doi:10.1016/j.clae.2026.102703

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Scleral lens peripheral modifications and regional variations in corneal oedema

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Scleral lens peripheral modifications and regional variations in corneal oedema

Asif Iqbal, Damien Fisher, David Alonso-Caneiro, Michael J Collins and Stephen J Vincent

Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, Vol.49(5), pp.1-8

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2026.102703

PMID: 42470921

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Abstract

Corneal oedema

Scleral lens

Tear exchange

Channel

Notch

Toricity

Profilometry

Peripheral modification

Purpose To investigate the effect of peripheral scleral lens landing zone modifications upon short-term regional variations in corneal oedema. Methods Nine healthy participants wore different scleral lens designs ((1) spherical landing zone, (2) toric landing zone, (3) peripheral notches, and (4) peripheral channels) in a randomised order on four separate days for 100 min. Stromal oedema was quantified using high-resolution optical coherence tomography across the central, mid-peripheral, and peripheral cornea with the lens in situ. Eye Surface Profiler (ESP) images were also captured following the application of 10 μL of 2% sodium fluorescein, over a period of 100 min. Central and peripheral fluorescent intensity data were extracted from the ESP images and analysed using customised software to quantify tear exchange. Results The channel lens design displayed less central oedema compared to the toric design (1.57 ± 0.45% less oedema, p = 0.04). In the corneal periphery, the magnitude of oedema was less for both the toric lens (2.66 ± 0.66% less oedema, p = 0.02) and the channel design (3.39 ± 0.97% less oedema, p = 0.04) in comparison to the spherical lens design. A highly significant correlation was observed between the magnitude of peripheral tear exchange after 90 min of lens wear and the magnitude of peripheral oedema (r = −0.61, p < 0.001). Conclusions Scleral lenses with either a toric landing zone or peripheral channels exhibited less peripheral corneal oedema than a spherical landing zone design, due to enhanced peripheral tear exchange.

Details

Title: Scleral lens peripheral modifications and regional variations in corneal oedema
Authors: Asif Iqbal (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Damien Fisher - Queensland University of Technology
David Alonso-Caneiro - University of the Sunshine Coast
Michael J Collins - Queensland University of Technology
Stephen J Vincent - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, Vol.49(5), pp.1-8
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2026.102703
ISSN: 1476-5411
PMID: 42470921
Copyright note: © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of British Contact Lens Association. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
Grant note: Asif Iqbal was funded by QUT Postgraduate Research Award PhD Scholarship and Dorothy Carlborg Research Award from the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991246963602621
Output Type: Journal article

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