Penetrating eye injury caused by eyelash curlers--a cause for concern?

PURPOSE: To report a case of open globe injury caused by eyelash curlers.

METHODS

Interventional case report.

RESULTS

A 19-year-old female presented with a history of accidentally poking herself in the left eye when her eyelash curlers broke suddenly. Initial assessment revealed a laceration in the infero-nasal cornea of the left eye. The patient was also noted to have developed a traumatic cataract. Surgical exploration of the penetrating eye injury also revealed damage to the posterior capsule of the lens. Lensectomy, anterior vitrectomy, and implantation of an intraocular lens were performed. The first day after the operation, the patient's visual acuity in the left eye improved to 20/30 unaided. At 3-months follow-up, the sutures were removed and visual acuity remains at 20/30 unaided.

CONCLUSION

Our case represents an unusual cause of serious ocular injury in a domestic setting wherein appropriate and timely intervention resulted in a good clinical outcome.