A new study by researchers at University Hospitals Eye Institute, Cleveland has found over the long-term, deposits of mucin — aka "mucin balls" — on the eye surface may protect against inflammation and infection in patients using extended-wear contact lenses.
Researchers studied the short- and long-term responses to extended-wear contact lenses in 219 subjects. They found during the first month of wear, about three-fourths of participants developed mucin balls on the eye. Nineteen percent of the subjects developed corneal infiltrates, compared to six percent of those without early mucin deposits.
After one-year follow-up, researchers found participants who developed mucin deposits were less likely to have problems. Rates of corneal infiltrates were 10.5 versus 14 percent for subjects with versus without "repeat" mucin deposits. According to researchers, they findings showed the larger the extend of repeat mucin deposits, the lower the risk of problems.
The study was recently published in the journal Optometry and Vision Science.
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Source: Wolters Kluwer Health