Background: Scleral contact lenses provide unique therapeutic and vision rehabilitative properties that overcome the therapeutic gaps encountered with conventional contact lens therapies.
Case reports: Four case reports are presented in which serious visual impairment was remediated with the application of scleral contact lenses: kerataconus, Terriens marginal degeneration, penetrating keratoplasty from Fuchs' dystrophy, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
Conclusion: The availability of new and diverse materials--in particular, the use of highly oxygen-permeable materials for scleral contact lenses--has allowed reevaluation of the clinical role of scleral lenses in the management of irregular corneal surface disorders and ocular surface disease.