Thelazia callipaeda infection during phacoemulsification cataract surgery: a case report

BACKGROUND: In August 2020, we found one case of thelazia callipaeda infection during phacoemulsification cataract surgery. This maybe the first report for thelazia callipaeda discovered during phacoemulsification cataract surgery in China. CASE PRESENTATION: An 85 years old farmer was found thelazia callipaeda infection during phacoemulsification cataract surgery. The patient admitted whose foreign body sensation was often found in the right eye in recent 2 months. The worm was then taken out with ophthalmic forceps and put into sterile normal saline. The worm was sent to the Eye Institute of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for identification. After identification, the worm was regarded as the male thelazia callipaeda. The head is blunt and round, the tail end curls to the abdomen, and the long copulation spines protrudes from the cloaca. The conjunctival sac was washed carefully with a large amount of Sodium Lactate Ringer ‘s Solution. After operation, antibiotics, pranoprofen eye drops, and tobramycin dexamethasone eye drops were further applied. After continuous examination of conjunctival sac for 2 weeks, the patient’s visual acuity maintained 20/20, confirming that there was no residual thelazia. CONCLUSIONS: This report highlights the physician should ask the patient’s history carefully before operation and it is necessary to strengthen health publicity and education, maintaining clean environment and keeping personal eye hygiene.