An unusual case of nine cilia embedded in the retina after a perforating ocular injury

PURPOSE: To report an extremely rare case involving a 41-year-old man with nine intraocular cilia embedded in the retina after a perforating ocular injury caused by a metal wire. This case is particularly rare because of the number and location of the cilia. OBSERVATIONS: The patient underwent an uneventful corneal suturing and extracapsular extraction of the damaged lens of his right eye. Intraocular foreign bodies were discovered following surgery and were removed at a later date. Following lens extraction and ocular repair, the patient's best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was counting fingers. Fundus examination during follow-up revealed several eyelashes embedded in the retina. Thirty-two days after the injury, the patient showed signs of ocular inflammation. Therefore, the patient underwent vitrectomy and intraocular foreign body removal. Nine cilia were embedded in the retina at the posterior perforation site. At the final follow-up visit, his BCVA was 20/25. CONCLUSION AND IMPORTANCE: This report describes an unusual case where intraocular cilia were embedded in the retina after a perforating ocular injury. The eyelashes caused an intraocular inflammatory reaction that subsided after their removal.