Purpose: To report the association between colonization of contact lenses with Streptococcus pneumoniae and the observation of corneal infiltrative events in a group of patients wearing disposable hydrogel lenses on an extended-wear schedule.
Methods: In a prospective clinical trial, 330 patients wore disposable hydrogels on a 6-night extended-wear and replacement schedule. The contact lens, lid, and conjunctival microbiota of these subjects was analyzed at frequent intervals and at the time of an adverse event.
Results: Streptococcus pneumoniae was an uncommon isolate and was recovered from only one of the 3,763 conjunctival samples, five (0.1%) of the 3,764 lid samples, and 33 (0.8%) of the 4,315 contact lens samples. Of the 33 lens samples, 10 (30%) were associated with corneal infiltrative events. Many of the events were mild inflammatory responses and resolved rapidly on discontinuation of lens wear. The presence of S. pneumoniae on the contact lens was associated with a significant risk of development of corneal infiltrates (odds ratio, 3.0; p = 0.0227, logistic-regression analysis).
Conclusions: Presence of S. pneumoniae on hydrogel lenses is a significant risk factor for the development of corneal infiltrates.