[Contact lens in children: epidemiological aspects].

Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of children submitted to contact lens fit.

Methods: Retrospective study of 73 children that had been submitted to contact lens fit at the "Universidade Federal de São Paulo". This study analyzed sex distribution, age, diagnosis, indications and contact lens fitted at first examination.

Results: 34 children (46.6%) were male and 39 (53.4%) female, aged between 2 and 12 years with mean of 10.2 and standard deviation of 2.42. The most common diagnosis was aphakia, in 16 (21.9%) cases. Keratoconus was present in 14 (19.1%), leucoma in 11 (15%), anisometropia in 10 (13.7%), refractive errors in 9 (12.3%), irregular astigmatism in 7 (9.5%), ectopia lentis in 4 (5.4%), high myopia in one case (1.3%) and one child (1.3%) had no ocular pathology, just wishing to change eye color. 52 (71.2%) had medical indication, 9 (12.3%) had optical indication and 12 (16.4%) had cosmetic indication. Contact lenses were fitted in 103 eyes, the most tested lens was rigid gas permeable in 43 (41.7%), soft lens in 41 (39.8%) and cosmetic soft lens in 11 (10.6%).

Conclusion: Aphakia was the most common diagnosis among children in use of contact lens. The incidence of medical indication was higher than the others and the most tested lens was the rigid gas permeable one.