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A 62-year-old male presented with complaints of recurrent subconjunctival hemorrhages and foreign body sensation over the past two months. There was no history of ophthalmic surgery and no change in visual acuity. On ophthalmic exam, a lash was found in the subconjunctival space with granulation tissue at both ends of the lash. It was well encased by the conjunctival tissue.
An eyelash embedded under the conjunctival tissue is seen on occasion and can occur after surgery with excessive manipulation of the conjunctival tissue—such as in a scleral buckling procedure. An embedded eyelash is more unusual with no history of surgery or trauma, as in this case, though rubbing the eye can inadvertently insert the lash into the subconjunctival space. One treatment is to remove the lash, usually with jeweler’s forceps. In this case, an incision in the conjunctiva was needed for removal. Antibiotic and steroid drops were given to prevent infection and to reduce inflammation after removal. The patient recovered without difficulty.
