Case Report Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

1. The patient has successfully worn their finalized scleral lenses for a minimum of 6 months.  An in-office follow-up visit must be documented to demonstrate their successful wear.
2. The case was managed to completion entirely by the author.
3. The case meets the generally accepted standard of care.

Patient Selection: Reports should be based on the type of patients you fit on a regular basis. Do not report the patient’s full name. Use patient initials only. Please remove identifying information from any images or ancillary test reports.

Technical Guidelines: Use good syntax and grammar. Carefully spell-check and grammar-check all work. Your case report should be written in past tense and in third person. Please include page numbers and continuous line numbering.

References: Always reference your work. AMA formatting is preferred. Case reports must be your original work. Don’t plagiarize!

General Expectations: It is expected that the candidate can demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in the art and science of scleral lenses. While it is important for the candidate to provide sufficient background information on the patient’s ocular condition, the focus of the case report should be on the scleral lens selection process, fitting methods, and clinical decision-making. Although there is no minimum complexity of the case, the candidate should be able to demonstrate an ability to problem solve when necessary.

When sending case reports to the Fellowship committee, your name and contact info should not appear anywhere in the main case report. Please avoid references identifying institutions that may identify you. The cover page of the case report should include only the case report title and your name and contact info. The abstract, usually in a single paragraph of 300 words or less, will also be a separate document attachment.  

Candidates may resubmit revised case reports a maximum of two times. If the case report is not deemed acceptable by the committee after the second resubmission, the candidate will need to submit a different report.

Case Report Components:

When sending case reports to the Fellowship committee, your name and contact info should not appear anywhere in the main case report. Please avoid references identifying institutions that may identify you. The main case report includes these sections: Introduction, Case Report, Discussion, Conclusion, References, and Photos (if applicable).

Cover Page The cover page of the case report should include only the case report title and your candidate number.

Abstract Describe, usually in one paragraph of 300 words or less, the context of the case and explain its relevance and importance.

Keywords Optional Important terms (5 maximum) that highlight the key information of the case.

Introduction Summarize the patient’s ocular condition(s). Include differential diagnoses if relevant to the case.  Briefly introduce why scleral lenses are indicated.

Case Report Thoroughly document the initial visit and subsequent follow-up visits.  Each encounter should document the reason for the visit and include the date of each encounter.  Clinical decision-making should be explained clearly and sufficiently.

The patient’s initial visit should include the patient’s chief complaint, age/ethnicity, sex, and date of examination as well as thorough documentation of history (present illness, medical, ocular, family, and social) and a review of systems. Prior history of contact lens wear should be discussed. Document all findings and record all medications, including concentration and quantity instilled in the patient’s eyes as part of the examination. Visual acuity should reflect the level of disease.  Both anterior and posterior segment examination should be included.  If a referring doctor performed any exam components, please include those findings.  If available, additional testing such as corneal topography, anterior segment imaging, endothelial cell counts etc. should be included.

The initial contact lens evaluation and fitting should provide thorough detail of the fitting process.  Include the reason for choosing scleral lenses and whether any alternative lens designs or modalities were considered. Detail the method of choosing the lens design and the initial diagnostic lens. It is expected that the candidate can demonstrate their understanding of the particular design and how changes in parameters affect the fit of the lens. The fit of each diagnostic lens should be assessed, including the central corneal clearance, limbal clearance, and peripheral alignment. It should be described how the lens was evaluated and if any instrumentation was used. Explain how the parameters of the initially ordered lens were determined and what modifications were made.  Please include the choice of lens material and why this material was chosen.

Each follow-up visit should include the reason for the encounter.  All follow-up visits should include visual acuities and an evaluation of the lens fit. Average wearing time and settling time at each visit should be recorded. Document ocular health when applicable.  If modifications to the lenses are required, provide clinical reasoning and the new parameters. An appropriate lens care regimen should be prescribed at the dispensing appointment.  Include both the immediate and long-term follow-up care plan.

Discussion Section Provide a thorough discussion of the ocular condition and the treatment options. Please detail how scleral lenses contributed to the treatment and management of this patient. Discuss any advanced design options that were utilized and how complications were addressed. If the case could have been managed differently, please elaborate.

Conclusion Include a conclusion in the case report.

References Please use AMA citation format.  References should be current and relevant to the case.

Photos Include photographs of the contact lens fit if possible.

Case reports accepted by the Scleral Lens Education Society for the fellowship may be used on the website for educational purposes.

Click Here for Sample Case Reports