Anterior uveitis secondary to intraocular fiber from a hair enhancement product

PURPOSE: To report a case of anterior uveitis caused by migration of cosmetic “hair-building fibers” into the anterior chamber and discuss previous literature describing ocular disease caused by small foreign fibers. OBSERVATIONS: A 73 year old male presented with his first episode of acute anterior uveitis. He was found to have a white fiber penetrating through the cornea into the anterior chamber. This foreign body was removed. The patient identified the material as a being from the cosmetic hair-building fiber product he had been using called Toppik. He was treated with topical steroids and antibiotic drops. The uveitis resolved without recurrence by six weeks after his initial presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Small synthetic and non-synthetic fibers represent sources of both superficial and intraocular injury. Careful examination of the anterior chamber is critical in patients with new acute uveitis to identify possible foreign fibers that can migrate through the cornea. While medical therapy with topical steroids may suffice for treatment in many cases, intraocular persistence of these materials can result in recurrent inflammation, ocular hypertension, or further migration into the posterior chamber which may require surgical intervention.