Siderotic cataract with no signs of intraocular foreign body

BACKGROUND: Ocular siderosis is a clinical condition induced by deposition of an iron-containing intraocular foreign body. We report a unique case of histopathologically proven lens siderosis in a young woman with a preceding history of trauma but no signs of retained intraocular foreign body. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old woman presented with an opacified lens showing brownish deposits on the anterior capsule and underwent cataract surgery. Preoperative ophthalmic examination did not show any retained intraocular foreign body. Histopathologic staining of the anterior capsule confirmed the presence of iron deposits and macrophages. Electroretinography examination performed in the postoperative period showed the changes characteristic of retinal degeneration in ocular siderosis. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates the importance of close monitoring of patients with a history of trauma or previous penetrating injury to the eye, even if there is no intraocular foreign body, because they might develop ocular siderosis at a later stage. This case report underscores the importance of electroretinography and histopathologic analysis, in addition to ophthalmic examination, in the diagnosis of ocular siderosis. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12886-017-0424-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.