BMJ Case Reports tells the story of a patient who found a contact lens embedded in her eyelid for almost 30 years. Unfortunately, it caused a serious illness.
The patient’s case is described by an ophthalmologist from Dundee, Scotland. The woman had a slightly swollen and droopy eye for six months before finally being referred to the Department of Ophthalmology at NHS Tayside, in Dundee, Scotland. Then it appeared with swelling of the upper eyelid of the left eye. Doctors, thanks to the magnetic resonance, found a small cyst about 6 millimeters in diameter. It was decided to surgically remove it. During the procedure, it was discovered that the cyst was due to the presence of a hard contact lens inserted into the soft tissue of the eyelid.
Hard contact lenses are an alternative to soft contact lenses. Hard lenses are used for certain conditions, such as keratoconus or large and complex vision defects. They are also recommended for people with dry eye syndrome who should not wear soft lenses. Hard lenses are characterized by high oxygen permeability. They are very durable, some types can be worn for up to two years. Such lenses are adjusted individually to best correct the patient’s vision defects.
The 42-year-old British woman was surprised the more that she had no idea where the lens could get in her eye at all, because she hadn’t worn them for years.
During the further questioning, the patient’s mother remembered that her daughter had to wear the lenses for some time when she was a teenager, and during this time she suffered an injury to the upper left eyelid.
The report stated that a 14-year-old female patient was hit with a shuttle in her left eye while playing badminton. Back then, the 14-year-old thought the lens had just fallen out because she couldn’t feel or see it in any way. Meanwhile, it turned out that the lens she was wearing did not fall out, but stuck into the eyelid. She had no symptoms for 28 years, until a cyst was formed.
The research was published in BMJ Case Reports.
Based on: Science Alert / BMJ Case Reports