ABSTRACT
Therapeutic soft contact lenses (TSCLs) are frequently used to support or protect the cornea during healing. Our aim was to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of topical medications in TSCL-fitted dogs and determine whether it is affected by the presence of TSCLs. In Phase I, pupil diameter was measured in eyes treated with tropicamide and in eyes covered with TSCLs and then treated with tropicamide, with 1-week intervals between sessions. In Phase II, intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured in uncovered and TSCL-covered eyes treated with latanoprost, with 1-week intervals between sessions. Tropicamide caused significant mydriasis in both uncovered and TSCL-covered eyes (P = 0.005). On the other hand, latanoprost caused a significant decrease in IOP when applied to uncovered eyes (P = 0.002), but had no significant effect on IOP when applied to TSCL-covered eyes (P = 0.7). As we used the same dogs and identical TSCLs throughout the study, we conclude that the different outcomes of the two drugs are due to properties of the drugs themselves, or their formulations, affecting their interaction with the TSCLs. The clinical efficacy of topical drugs applied to TSCL-covered eyes may have to be determined for each drug and/or formulation.
