Abstract

Vertical corneal striae distributed across the posterior cornea are one of the objective signs of clinically unacceptable corneal swelling (greater than 6%) resulting from contact lens wear. This study reports that corneal striae are repeatable both in configuration and location with different levels of hypoxia. In most instances entoptic phenomena result from the presence of these lines. The results suggest that the healthy, avascular, transparent cornea has certain localised areas in its anatomical structure which may give rise to bundles of collagen fibres being made visible objectively and subjectively during conditions of corneal swelling.