A Case of an Asymptomatic Intralenticular Foreign Body

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to report a case of an asymptomatic intralenticular metallic foreign body that was retained for 6 months. A 66-year-old male visited our ophthalmology department because of decreased visual acuity in his left eye 6 months after he suffered ocular trauma while mowing. He had not been treated because he did not experience any discomfort. His corrected visual acuity was 0.4. Central corneal opacity, an intralenticular metallic foreign body, and an intact posterior capsule were observed on slit lamp examination. Phacoemulsification with posterior chamber lens implantation and simultaneous removal of the intralenticular foreign body was performed. Seventeen days after the operation, his corrected visual acuity was 1.0, the intraocular lens was well-seated, and there was no intraocular inflammation. In this case report, a patient was found to have an intralenticular metallic foreign body retained for 6 months. During this time he did not experience any ocular dysfunction due to the foreign body. Mowing accidents are common in Korea. Despite the absence of symptoms, patients reporting a history of lawn mowing should be thoroughly examined.

A case of a retained intralenticular foreign body for two years

“…On the other hand the healing capacity of the anterior lens capsule, in contrast to the posterior capsule, is well documented and is thought to result from the presence of the subcapsular epithelium 9. If the capsule defect is small, epithelial proliferation rapidly restores its continuity, limiting the free passage of ions and fluid that may result in progressive cataract formation 10. In our patient’s case, the size of the ILFB was small and it is possible that the capsular break was small enough to heal spontaneously.…”

Pterygium surgery combined with the removal of a missed occult iris foreign body detected incidentally during pterygium examination: a case report

“…Missed IOFBs in OGI were rare because of the relatively large size of foreign bodies and serious visual loss. However, tiny occult foreign bodies may be missed and retained in patients with small self-sealing wounds and no decreased visual acuity without complete examination [4–6, 14].…”

“…In most cases, IOFBs that could cause severe visual impairment are identified. However, tiny and occult foreign bodies may be missed and retained in patients with small self-sealing wounds and no decreased visual acuity without complete examination [4–6]. The natural progression of a retained IOFB varies depending on its size and location, the toxicity of the material, and risk of infection [7].…”

“…In view of sight-threatening complications and the development of better surgical technique, early removal of the retained IOFBs should be performed. Asymptomatic IOFBs have been published [4, 6, 14]. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of retained iris foreign body without ocular complications.…”

Lens siderosis resulting from a small intralenticular metallic foreign body

“…Only a few studies have reported a retained iron intralenticular foreign body undetected by imaging [ 6 ]. A retained iron intralenticular foreign body may remain silent for a longer period of time, even up to 60 years [ 7 ].…”