Contact Lens Update

Small discrete particles or plugs seen between contact lens and corneal surface, composed mainly of mucin, tear proteins and lipids. Mucin balls are round and vary in size and clarity. Smaller mucin balls are generally 10-20µm in diameter and typically transparent. Larger mucin balls, 20-50µm in diameter, tend to appear opalescent. These ‘deposits’ may be either scattered or clumped. They do not move as the lens moves, so they seem to be trapped against the corneal surface. Lens removal and/or subsequent blinking causes them to be dislodged leaving an indentation in the corneal surface which resolves rapidly.