What type of astigmatism may be revealed when a rigid contact lens is applied?

When a rigid contact lens is applied, the type of astigmatism primarily revealed is lenticular astigmatism. This phenomenon occurs because the rigid lens provides a new refractive surface that can mask or modify the effects of corneal irregularities. Consequently, the lens creates a new optical pathway that can highlight differences in the shape or curvature of the lens itself compared to the cornea, showcasing lenticular astigmatism.

Lenticular astigmatism pertains to the shape or characteristics of the lens and can be assessed when the rigid lens is utilized since it alters how light enters the eye, which may expose underlying issues related to the lens rather than the cornea. Thus, even if corneal astigmatism is present, the application of a rigid lens focuses the examination on the lenticular component.

In contrast, refractive astigmatism pertains to variations in the overall refractive status of the eye, where light may focus at different points on the retina due to the combination of corneal and lenticular effects. While oblique astigmatism describes the orientation of significant astigmatism affecting vision along a diagonal axis, and corneal astigmatism primarily stems from irregularities or variations in the corneal