A missed diagnosis of multiple intraocular foreign bodies for 21 years

A 30-year-old patient went to the emergency department because of a chemical burn to the left eye more than 10 days ago by toilet cleanser. Surprisingly, a small piece of glass was found in the inferior anterior chamber in the same eye. The visual acuity was counting fingers. There was conjunctival congestion, corneal oedema and Descemet's membrane striae. And there was also a corneal leukoma around 4 to 5 o'clock. Through repeated questioning he recalled that he was injured by an exploded light bulb around 21 years ago. He was asymptomatic until he saw “something moving” in front of the left eye one month ago. Computed tomography (CT) scanning, ultrasonography, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) verified the presence of multiple intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs) in the anterior chamber and vitreous cavity. B-scan verified the IOFB in the vitreous cavity. Thus, he was diagnosed with corneal chemical burn, IOFBs and corneal leukoma of the left eye. The IOFB in the anterior chamber was removed through surgery. An attempt was made to remove the IOFB in the vitreous cavity with electromagnet, but it was not successful. Vitrectomy could not be performed as it was hindered by the opacity of cornea. After surgery, the visual acuity remained counting fingers and the corneal oedema still existed. This case is a reminder that a detailed history taking, a thorough physical examination and modern imaging techniques are beneficial for establishing the diagnosis and treatment of IOFBs.