Needle-like subtarsal foreign body in a patient with no history of injury: case report

Abstract

Subtarsal foreign bodies (FB) are a significant cause of ocular discomfort and are often missed on slit lamp examination of the everted upper eye lid. We report a patient with a needle-like subtarsal FB which was missed on repeated examinations over a three-month period. Staining with fluorescein and observation of scratch marks on epithelial surface of the cornea can give a clue to the presence of such a FB.

Key words: Subtarsal foreign bodies, ocular morbidity, fluorescein staining, case report