Citation

Szurman P, Pressler H, Kolb M, Rohrbach JM. Klin. Monatsbl. Augenheilkd. (1963) 2003; 220(1-2): 57-59.

Vernacular Title

"Maskeradefremdkorper" in der Bindehaut.

Affiliation

Augenklinik des Universitäts-Klinikums, Abt. 1, Tübingen. Peter.Szurman@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Georg Thieme Verlag)

DOI

10.1055/s-2003-37582

PMID

12612850

Abstract

CASE REPORT: An eight months old child presented with a "red eye" and a corneal erosion since a week. The parents reported on a "hair" which was invisible most of the time but appeared intermittently at the lid margin. The medical history was otherwise unremarkable. In general anaesthesia, a long structure could be easily extracted. The tapering structure disclosed several tiny hair-like filaments sprouting from the thickened end. This end was embedded within a fold of conjunctiva, thus giving the impression of a hair sheath. Clinically, an ectopic "giant hair" was supposed. Histology, however, revealed plants cells and a birefringence too high for a hair so that a diagnosis of a plant foreign body was established. CONCLUSION: Conjunctival foreign bodies may be overlooked especially in young children with no history of foreign body acquisition. They may occur as a "masquerade foreign body".

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