Management of an intrastromal corneal foreign body

Abstract

A 27-year-old male presented with complaints of irritation and watering in the left eye following injury by a shrub. These symptoms subsided on rubbing the eyes and an eyewash. Slit-lamp bio-microscopy revealed an edematous cornea with vegetative foreign bodies embedded in the stroma, which were confirmed by anterior-segment optical coherence tomography. Antimicrobial therapy and immediate foreign body removal was undertaken. The patient was discharged the next day, with regular follow-ups. Foreign bodies either get embedded on the corneal surface or penetrate into the anterior chamber; it is rare for them to be retained intracorneally. The patient made a full and uneventful recovery following surgery.