Contact lens wearers need to maintain optimal hygiene practices during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimisz contact-lens complications including microbial keratitis and corneal infiltrative events. This online survey (UK and Ireland) explored contact lens wearers' compliance behaviors, attitudes and concerns during the pandemic. The 60-item anonymous online survey was distributed during a one-month period via Qualtrics (starting on April 14). The survey captured: a) demographic information, b) type of lenses worn and compliance with lens wear and care procedures, c) adherence to recommendations and d) concerns associated with contact lens wear during the pandemic.

A total of 247 responses were received (34.3 ± 11.7 years old, 79% female). Seventy-nine percent of participants reported that they were self-isolating or rigorously following social distance advice. Fifty-six percent of participants reported using their lenses less during the pandemic. Eighty-seven percent of respondents reported following the recommended 20-second rule most times/every time, and 96% used soap and water during handwashing. Eleven percent of respondents admitted not following recommendations regarding disposal of lenses and 18% would not consider ceasing lens wear if unwell (with flu/cold) during the pandemic.

Respondents reported wearing their contact lenses less than usual. Good compliance with handwashing was observed but soft reusable lens wearers showed a statistically significant lower compliance with lens wear and care compared with daily disposable lens wearers.

This prospective, observational study highlighted the value of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) for different types of corneal foreign bodies in humans. The patients included were divided into two groups. If the patients were directly diagnosed based on eye injury history and slit-lamp examination, then they were assigned to Group A. Otherwise, the patients were assigned to Group B. Researchers compared and described the characteristics of the corneal foreign body in both groups using AS-OCT.

From October 2017 to January 2020, 36 eyes of 36 patients (9 females and 27 males) with a mean age of 37.8 ± 11.7 years were included in the study. Patients in Group A were the majority and accounted for 72.2% (26/36). High signals on AS-OCT images were the main constituent and accounted for 92.3% (24/26) in Group A and 70.0% (7/10) in Group B. Most of the patients in Group A, 96.2% (25/26), had clear boundaries. A blurred boundary was observed in 70% (7/10) of the patients in Group B. The foreign bodies on AS-OCT images had key characteristics of a high signal followed by a central zone shadowing effect, and a low signal followed by a marginal zone shadowing effect. Further, all of the lesions could be directly located in Group B, and 92.3% (24/26) of the patients in Group A did not have directly located lesions. Six representative cases are described in detail.

AS-OCT is a valuable tool in the diagnosis and management of corneal foreign bodies, especially for unusual corneal foreign body.

In clinical practice, 1% atropine and 1% cyclopentolate are used as cycloplegia agents to diagnose refractive error. The influence of 1% atropine on ocular biometry is obscure, and the impact of 1% cyclopentolate remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the effects of atropine vs. cyclopentolate cycloplegia on ocular biometry in myopic children and to determine the sites of action for atropine.

A total of 207 myopic children, ages 6 to 12 years, were included in the analysis. All participants underwent comprehensive eye examinations before and after cyclopentolate cycloplegia, after which they were randomly assigned into two groups: A and B, in a ratio of 1:1, to receive 1% or 0.01% atropine, respectively. The treatment was administered once every night for a week. Participants were re-examined one week later.

Cyclopentolate cycloplegia caused a decrease in choroidal thickness (-3 ± 9 μm), elongation of axial length (9 ± 16 μm), loss of lens power (-0.14 ± 0.37 dioptre) and a hyperopic shift (0.14 ± 0.22 diopter) in both groups. However, ocular biometry showed different changes after one-week use of 1% or 0.01% atropine. In Group A, choroid thickening (24 ± 13 μm) and reduced axial length (-30 ± 27 μm) were observed after atropine cycloplegia, with greater changes in lens power (0.50 ± 0.37 diopter) and spherical equivalent (0.52 ± 0.23 diopter). Group B showed a slight increase in choroidal thickness following one-week use of 0.01% atropine (6 ± 9 μm), but other biometric measures showed no significant changes.

Investigators wrote that cyclopentolate and atropine cycloplegia had different effects on ocular biometry. They reported that both 1% cyclopentolate cycloplegia and 0.01% atropine resulted in choroidal thickening, indicating that the choroid may be a site of action for atropine.