The complications of contact lens wear.

Out of the approximately 30 million contact lens wearers in North America, about 6%--approximately 1.8 million individuals--develop a complication each year [Acta Ophthalmol 1984, 62:556-565]. These problems range from self-limiting to sight threatening, and require rapid diagnosis and treatment to prevent vision loss. Contact lens complications are as varied as they are common, involving the lids, conjunctiva, and all layers of the cornea (epithelium, stroma, and endothelium).