A new prospective observational study examined changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) in 60 Chinese adults fitted with scleral contact lenses. Participants were divided into 2 groups based on corneal status: those who had irregular corneas (such as keratoconus) and those who had regular corneas. IOP measurements were taken at baseline and again at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after initial lens fitting. Tonometry was performed without the lens in place, using rebound tonometry for irregular-cornea participants and non-contact tonometry for those with regular corneas.

Across all follow-up visits, mean IOP varied by less than ± 0.3 mmHg from baseline in both groups, with no statistically significant change noted (P>.05). However, 10% of eyes (3 in each group) showed sustained IOP elevations of 2 mmHg or more across 2 or more consecutive visits, including at 3 months.

The study concludes that, for most patients, scleral lens wear does not materially affect IOP over 3 months. Nonetheless, the authors recommend ongoing research—including measurements taken with the lens in place, anterior chamber assessments, and optic nerve evaluation—especially given higher glaucoma prevalence in Asian populations.

Yang M, Wang F, Xu A, et al. Intraocular pressure following long-term scleral lens wear in Chinese eyes. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2025 Jul 16:102476. [Online ahead of print] doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2025.102476