Response to Re: Putting vital stains in context

摘要

There has been considerable discussion in recent times about the origins of solution-induced corneal staining (SICS) and I welcome this opportunity to further clarify some points raised in my paper1 in relation to certain issues highlighted by Drs Papas and Jones.2 Part of the difficulty in understanding these phenomena relates to the imprecise terminology used. For example, Drs Papas and Jones state '. . . SICS can be observed without the instillation of fluorescein.' This statement is self-contradictory because it is impossible to observe staining (SICS) in the absence of a stain (fluorescein). Presumably, Drs Papas and Jones are referring to a different and possibly associated phenomenon of altered reflectance of the superficial epithelium, observed in white light, following instillation into the eye of certain contact lens multipurpose solutions (MPS).