Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis

Picture from JS Andersen, et al. "A Handbook of Contact Lens Management." Vistakon, Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, May 1996.

This is a picture of the inside of the upper eyelid exhibiting a condition called giant papillary conjunctivitis, or GPC. GPC is a form of an allergic reaction to build-up on soft contact lenses. This usually occurs under the upper eyelid and appears like cobblestone bumps.

One of the main things a patient will notice is itching that gets worse once the contact lenses are removed. This tends to occur more often in people who are not wearing disposable contact lenses and in people who do not properly clean their lenses.

When a patient is diagnosed with GPC, there are several strategies, depending on the severity of the signs and symptoms. Patients may need to stay out of their contact lenses for a period of days to weeks and possibly use some eye drops to help the GPC resolve. If the GPC is relatively mild or if it has basically resolved, the next step is to be refit into different lenses. One of the best options is a daily disposable lens. When a lens is being replaced every day, there is not a lot of time for deposits and film to build up on the lenses. If there is a reason that daily disposables cannot be used, lenses should still be replaced frequently, and the appropriate care and cleaning system should be selected by the eyecare provider.