Man discovers he has had a splinter in his eye for 15 years

Three millimeters. This is the length of the splinter discovered accidentally in the eye of an American patient who came to consult his ophthalmologist. Originally from Boston, the man lived for 15 years with this piece of wood in his eye, without it causing the slightest infection.

A gardening accident caused the splinter left in his eye

After this fortuitous discovery, the thirty-year-old explained to his doctor that he had suffered a serious gardening accident in the early 2000s. Victim of pain, he did not go to see a doctor because it had finally faded, shortly after. After.

During a check-up visit to his ophthalmologist, to monitor his diabetes, the splinter was spotted in his eye. More precisely in the cornea.

No secondary infection from this accident

Alerted by their colleague, ophthalmologists from Harvard Medical School and Wayne State University in Detroit became interested in the particular case of this patient. They identify the nature of this foreign body and are surprised that the wound heals without infection. “Most cases are detected and treated quickly after the injury, as they often cause significant pain, redness and tearing, and are sources of infection. they note. While recognizing that in certain cases, “the foreign body may be asymptomatic and remain undetected for an extended period of time“.

No surgical removal of wood splinter

Following this discovery, the specialists preferred to refrain from any intervention to try to remove the splinter of wood. Particularly due to the fact that it was too deeply planted in the thirty-year-old’s cornea, which made the risky operation. On the other hand, they advised him to return for consultation at the slightest vision problem or in the event of the appearance of eye pain.

Slide: 10 things to know about your eyes